Duties of a Father
by Iron writer
Summary: Alternative universe matt has been running dream x since he was 18 and he thought life was going great that was until a phone call changed his life, his daughter was coming.
1. Chapter 1

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**The Order of the Six Star ****Shuriken**

**One week before creams birthday**

It was a warm summers day afternoon, creams birthday was less than a week away she was excited as she could be. She was going to turn ten, the big one zero she remembered what her friends earlier that day. As she sat by the swings her friends said to her.

"Wow, your turning the big one zero, that's incredible. My dad says when I turn ten I'm getting my allowance to a good $10.50 a week." Said a girl with pink hair and blue eyes. As cream smiled her other friend said.

"My dad says when I turn ten I can stay up to ten o'clock." Cream wondered what her dad was going to get for her birthday. Suddenly a horrible voice came from behind and sneered at cream.

"Hey cream puff." She insulted, as cream turned round she saw Christy In her black Goth clothes and many piercings in her nose and ears smiling evil at her. "Heard you were turning ten, you going to stop wearing your diapers now." As cream ignored that comment Christy spat on the floor and said. "Whatever, cream puff." She said as she walked with her wannabe friends who tried to imitate her. As cream happily skipped up to the top floor of the DX head quarters she realized that Madison wasn't at her desk. As cream knocked on the door, no response came from within she started to grow worried. As she knocked louder a voice came from within.

"Come in." cream recognized that voice it was her daddy's but he didn't respond the first time was strange. As she opened the door the room was dark, the lights were off and the curtains were pulled, cream thought it was a surprise party, but as she entered matt immediately said. "Cream, wait outside." This was the first time cream had heard her father said that to her, he always let her in the office when she came from school.

"But daddy…"

"No buts cream! Go find Maeve or SoraLynn and I'll talk to you later." As cream closed the door matt clapped his hands and with that the lights returned back to normal. As matt sat in his chair he looked cross. "How much do you know….Mr. Red." Mr. Red was the younger brother to vicious blood thirsty dictator who ran a company that would stop at nothing to get its information who went by the name of Mr. White. Mr. White ran one of Dream X's information gathering branches called Blue corp that was until a rookie lawyer put Mr. White in jail for good. As the figure clapped his hands he said.

"My dear boy, you have a splendifous daughter, it would be a shame for her little heart to be broken if she found out that you lied to her." As matt looked at him with daggered eyes he said to him trying to hold back his rage.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"My dear boy, you're a bad liar but good enough to fool your own child." As matt looked at his phone he looked at him and said.

"You dare and tapped my phone."

"Not me my dear boy, but my lovely assistant Sophie hawkcastle. You remember her, don't you?" as matt thought back to that name Sophie hawkcastle he remembered, all too well. It was three years ago he heard that name, as he sat back in his chair looking at this C.V. he was handed.

"So, Miss Hawkcastle you skills for a receptionist seem impressive, what would you say was your weakness in the receptionist area." He asked the young blonde hair woman with brown eyes. As she wore a tight pink blouse that revealed some of her cleavage. As she winked at him she said in English seductive voice.

"Well I guess it'd be the cute leader I'd be working for." As matt ignored the voice and the wink.

"Any other skills?" he inquired.

"Well, I could have sex anyway and anywhere, with anyone." She said as she winked again but matt didn't fall for her charms. As he sighed he said to her.

"I'm sorry, your not what we're looking for." As she fainted onto the floor from the refusing of matt, matt suddenly jumped from his chair and asked her. "Miss Hawkcastle?! Are you okay?" as she laid there non responsive matt rushed to get her some water. As he left Miss Hawkcastle got up and her personality took a 180.

"What an idiot! And he's supposed to be the brains of this organization?" as she placed a wiretap underneath his phone she smiled, "Mess with me and you get the wrong end of the hawks talons." As she quickly got back into her fainting position matt ran in with a glass water to help Miss Hawkcastle. As matt came out of the flashback he glared at him.

"Get out of my office!" he shouted as he pointed towards the door. As Mr. Red looked at him he said with a smile.

"You won't be able to hide the truth for long from your splendifous daughter; your lies will soon be exposed." He said as he left the office as matt called security to escort Mr. Red from the building. As he sat at his desk he knew he was in trouble, Mr. Red knew everything, all the secrets, all the lies he told cream and of course… the secret order of the six star Shuriken. If cream found out about the secret order of the six star shuriken it would only complicate matters further. Now he had to make sure that Mr. Red wouldn't breathe a word about this, he had to make a phone call but first he removed the wiretap from the bottom, as he crushed it in his hands he dialed a secret number. "#60606060606#" as it rang six times a voice picked up.

"Hello?" responded the deep voice.

"Is that you Brother Michael?" matt asked.

"Yes? Is that you brother matt?" he responded.

"Yes, I have a mission for you! A certain rat infiltrated my office and knows everything."

"This is unacceptable." He roared angrily.

"I know, the target must be eliminated." Matt said to him "I must go now brother… may the order of the shurikens be with you."

"Amen my brother the target shall be…eliminated!" he said as he hanged up. As a knock came at the door matt opened the door cream stood there smiling.

"Are we going home now?"

"Yes cream, we are." As matt locked the office he thought all would go well.

**Next morning**

As matt opened his office a figure stood in the room, as matt prepared to attack a shuriken with six points was thrown into the door frame matt knew who this was.

"Brother Michael? Is that you?" matt asked as he shut the door behind him. The figure nodded. "And the target…?"

"Has been eliminated!" as matt smiled he said.

"Who did you send?" as Michael smiled he said to him.

"I sent…Her!" as matt smiled.

"If you see Her again…tell her I need to meet her, face to face." As Michael nodded he disappeared into a puff of black smoke. The smile on matt's grew large. Everything was safe…at least for now. Little did he know things were about to change maybe for better or maybe for the worse.


	2. Chapter 2

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**The Shadow of Matt's past steps forward**

**Creams birthday**

It was a Friday afternoon and matt had arranged a little surprise for cream, as he looked out the window he remembered the last time he looked out was when cream arrived. He remembered that day clear as a crystal ring. He remembered when he Matt paced the floor of his spacious office. He stopped in front of his window and stared out to see all these small buildings surrounding him. He had worked his way to the top, starting out in the lowest position and rising up. Now he is the leader of Dream X, an organization that specialized in scientific research in the field of military weapons and Jutsu users. They were also a police department for the city. The company was in the middle of a big case of a serial murderer. If everything goes according to plan then this big break will boost his company even higher. That was until he got a life changing phone call, matt remembered the day that he got the phone call. Matt was in the middle of signing the last of the documents to begin the Case when the phone rang, a woman from the social services had called to say that his daughter was on her way to him, a daughter? That what the message said. He was so stunned that he sat at his desk for 5 minutes and didn't say anything. He searched his mind trying to find answers. Then it hit him. When he was searching for something in a nearby town he got drunk at one of the bars and had woken up in a hotel room with some strange woman beside him, and older woman with long rabbit ears, but matt didn't care, but after he left that town he never saw the woman again. She had assured him that he needn't worry so Matt didn't ever think on it again. Now that all changed. Matt pulled out off his thoughts as a knock sounded at his door. He turned around as the door opened. He watched as a woman entering his office. He had to do a double take to see the small child standing behind her; she looked just like the woman he met a long time ago.

The woman took out a bunch of papers and had him sign all of them. Without another word the woman left leaving the small child.

Cream stood in the middle of the big room; she seemed so out of place surrounded be all the expensive looking things as she clutched her old worn out suitcase in one hand and a ragged stuffed bear in the other. She didn't dare speak, to afraid that the big man that stood near the window that might hurt her. Matt didn't know what to say, he had never looked after a child before. As cream's hands shook she took a deep breath and tried to form a simple hello. The only thing that came was a small squeak. Cream's face turned red with embarrassment. As tears formed in her eyes she threw down her case and ran out the door, running past all the other agents and his secretary.

Matt watched as the small girl ran away, knowing he should go after her he tried to move his feet. But for some reason his feet didn't want to move, he screamed at himself on the inside, willing his legs to move. Matt briskly left his office and told his sectary to hold all his calls until he got back. As he ran to the elevator he pressed the button repeatedly trying to make it hurry up. As he tapped his foot quickly he thought to himself.

"She could be anywhere by now, I must've frightened her. It's only natural." As the doors opened he looked and what he saw was the girl sitting in the corner of the lift rocking back and forth. As the doors closed cream knew whatever the man was going to do she knew she couldn't escape, she knew she could scream but what would be the point. As matt slowly got on his knees, not caring about his $500 suit he was wearing he took the child in a hug, a warm and friendly embrace, cream knew then this man would never hurt her. As he held on to her tightly like he had done it a million times before. He spoke gently to her, trying not to frighten her.

"It will be ok little one, I may not know a lot about being a father or anything about children but with a little help I am sure that I can be what you need. We can help each other o.k.?" He said as he brushed cream's ears out of her face and gave her a gently kiss on the forehead. Cream smiled up at her new father. "Maybe this won't be so bad." she thought to herself. Matt picked up cream and pressed the top floor button to carry her back to the office. She was asleep before he even reached his door. As the sectary looked at the two she smiled and said.

"Sir, I have the detective in charge of the case on line one, we caught the serial murderer." But matt wasn't half as excited about it as she was, he had something else to excite about. As he looked at her he said to her.

"Tell him to come to my office tomorrow, right now I have had enough excitement for one day." He said as he carried the little girl into his office. Matt smiled at his reflection.

"You did well to raise that girl." Suddenly her secretary buzzed in.

"Sir, your three o'clock is here."

"That's impossible, I have no three o'clock." He said confused about the appointment.

"I'll send her in."

"Didn't you hear me; I said I had no appointments." Suddenly the door opened as matt reached for his draw where he kept his gun. A 357 Magnum revolver. As he loaded it with two bullets and cocked it he aimed it steady at the door, he waited for the figure to walk in. as the door slowly opened his aims were focused and his aim was steady. He always made sure this draw was always locked when cream was in his office. As the figure stepped in matt's trigger finger tightened. As matt looked into the whites of the eyes of the figures eyes, he slowly relinquished his release on the trigger his eyes became shaken and he put the gun down. "It's…it's…been a long time." He said at last as he smiled. Meanwhile at school cream had just finished class and was on her way out front to where her surprise was waiting for her. As she wondered what it was she remembered what her dad said to her this morning.

"Be a good girl at school today cream, and your surprise will be waiting for you outside."

"What is it daddy?" she asked.

"Ah, ah, ah…it's a surprise." He said waving his finger at her. As she walked outside a long stretch black limo stood outside waiting for her. As the sun shone on the blacked out windows, two Dream X agents stepped out and waited for Miss Cream. As they opened the door for her cream asked one of them.

"Where's daddy?"

"Your father said some business had come up but he will meet you for dinner, at Miss Ponda's." Cream nodded and climbed in. as the door was closed shut behind her she said.

"Of course, important business always comes up around my birthday." Back in matt's office matt sat in his chair looking serious as he talked to the figure. As he smiled he finally said to her.

"How long has been since we last met, 10 years now am I correct?" the figure nodded. "I thought about you every day, it may have been a one night stand but that was the first time I ever felt, love." The figure's shadowy smile faded. Matt sighed sadly and asked the figure. "You come all the way down here to see me, and now you can't even say a word to me…are you that ashamed of me? Well are you? V?" as the figure smiled its voice sounded heavenly sweet and full of regret.

"I'm not; I could never be ashamed of you for all you've done. But the person I am ashamed of…" she said as she reached for a mirror in her cream colored purse. As she opened the small compact mirror she said with a tear in her eye. "…is me. I didn't want to do it but I had to, it was the only way to keep cream safe." Matt suddenly looked surprised.

"Safe? What do you mean safe? Who were you in danger from?" the figure withdrew as she placed her hand close to her heart.

"I can't say." As she fiddled with her locket she said to matt "I keep this close to my heart, it's something to remember what I left behind." As she opened it a tear rolled down her eyes and down her face. Matt realized something was wrong, as he leaned over the desk he gently held her hand and reassured her it was alright.

"Hey, hey…No tears, ok? Creams happy and so am I." the figure's lip trembled "I got an idea what don't you come down to the restaurant with me and you can see cream again." The figures eyes lifted up and said to matt with her brown eyes.

"I can't, I'll only cause hurt and distress, and I don't want to inflict it on you."

"V…there is no way in heaven or on earth you can ever cause me hurt and distress." Matt said encouraging her to be brave and talk about what she came down in the first place for.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Positive." He smiled. As she gulped she said to him.

"It's about cream…" matt's positive smile began to slowly fade.

"Yeah." He asked inquisitively why the figure would bring up cream's name.

"She…She…." Stuttered the figure known as V. as matt held her tighter she said finally to drop a bombshell on him after so many years. "Cream might not be your daughter." Matt's eyes turned to shock as he slowly released her hand and slid his back under his desk. He was sent into a state of shock for minutes before V said to him. "I'm sorry, I should have told you right from the beginning, there's a high possibility that cream isn't your daughter but I wanted you to know I meant no…" matt put his hand up in front of her and V was silenced almost immediately.

"Four years…" he mumbled "Four years of contacting and lying to cream and you pick now to tell me the truth." V's brown eyes became overfilled with tears.

"I know this would happen!" she said sobbingly. "I should never have told you." She said as she raced for the door crying her eyes out, as matt ran after her she flung open the door and ran for the elevator the receptionist saw matt running after her.

"Umm, sir will you still be needing that limo?"

"No thanks I'll take my own car." He said quickly as he ran towards the lift. As V repeatedly push the button the door lifts open quickly, as matt quickly ran through the small gap of the closing doors he had just made it. As V sobbed matt, wrapped his arms round and said to her. "Hey it's okay; so what if she isn't my daughter I still love her like any father would." Matt said comfortingly. As V buried her face into his shoulder she said to him drying her tears.

"I know but… I know where her father is and I kinda told him where cream is." Matt remained silence for a few moments before the lift doors opened. As V began to walk away from the lift, matt grabbed her hand and said.

"Let me see him, I just want to make sure your not mistaken." V smiled "I may trust you and my husband…so I leave it in your capable hands." As he walked her to his car he asked her.

"Can I give you a lift to the airport?" she smiled and nodded.

"Always so kind and generous." She said to him. As matt got into his black Ford Shelby GT500KR, V thought to herself "Maybe you are creams real father." As she got in and put her seatbelt on in the black beast matt started the engine which roared like a thousand wildcats. Later at Miss Ponda's, cream was still waiting the time was now 6:30 pm. She had her dinner and her cake was waiting for her, she wanted to light the candles just to wish her dad was here. She just wanted her dad there she sighed an unhappy sigh, as she looked at her daddy's girlfriend she asked her.

"I wonder where dad is, do you know…Maeve."

"I'll give him a call and find out." She said as she reached into her purple handbag to reach her fire designed cell phone with pretty sparkles. As soon as she phoned his number the familiar ringtone of "Knight Rider ®" came from behind her as she turned she saw matt standing behind her. "I'm here. Sorry I'm late honey." He said as he kissed Maeve on the cheek as Maeve smiled she said to him.

"Well I forgive you, but it's your little girl who needs to know you're here." As matt nodded he went over to his daughter and covered her eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Daddy?" she asked. As he removed his hands she turned round and exclaimed "Daddy."

"Hey my little princess, I'm sorry I'm late I had a meeting and it ran over and I'm…" cream put a finger to her daddy's lips and said.

"It's okay dad I forgive you, now that we're here I can make my wish."

"Allow me to the light the candles honey." Maeve said as she ignited the ten candles by thought, cream clapped and said to Maeve.

"Yeah thank you Maeve the great." Maeve the great was a nickname cream thought of for her because she could create fire just like magic. As cream smiled matt asked her.

"What you going to wish for honey?"

"I…don't know. I have everything, a great dad and probably a new mommy." Maeve blushed and looked away. As matt gentle whistled trying to hide his embarrassment cream blew out her candles and made a wish. "All done."

"What did you wish for honey?"

"That'd be telling, you'll see when it comes true." As Matt cut the cake he looked at her and wondered.

"Is she my daughter? I hope she is?" cream smiled at him and he smiled back at cream.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too sweetie." As cream laughed at matt's red face he smiled and thought.

"I really hope she is."


	3. Chapter 3

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**The Horrible Truth**

**2 weeks after Creams birthday**

Matt had become happy around cream but distant in thought. He's been sighing paper work like there was no tomorrow but then again he wasn't paying much attention to it he just wanted to get through it as quickly as possible so he can go pick up his little girl to take her for lunch, the time was now 11:45 am cream was going to lunch in 15 minutes he had to leave, as he put the lid on his overly exhausted pen and placed it in the macaroni pencil can cream made matt when she was seven, till this day matt still finds it an honor of that can holding his important pens made by the same two hands of his sweet little girl. As he got up he realized the art work was his daughters own work, he saw the crude but excellent drawn pictures of his daughter. Stick figures outside a big square house with the sun smiling down on them, one tall blue figure with a large overcoat on him was matt with a little blue arrow pointing towards him saying daddy with little pink hearts around him. Next to him holding a little stick figure's hand with long bunny rabbit ears in yellow was cream with a little pink arrow and pink hearts all around her. Matt didn't want fancy pictures from famous artists, he wanted simpler things like his own little girls drawing…but he wasn't quite sure how long it would last. As he grabbed his coat he walked out the office and grabbed his keys to pick up cream. Meanwhile at the academy the bell had just rang for lunch as cream packed away her things her friend jenny came over to her.

"Hey cream!" she greeted.

"Hey jenny." She responded. Jenny had been creams friend since she first started the academy her long brown hair and light blue eyes and warm sparkle of a smile.

"Your dad picking you up for lunch, again?" she asked.

"Yeah he is, for some strange reason he's been taking me everywhere; amusement parks, restaurants, movies… he even took me to several Hannah Montana concerts with backstage passes…maybe something's wrong." Jenny had envy in her eyes her farther worked at the same organization and earned the same amount of money as creams dad but he couldn't get her anywhere.

"I'm so jealous of you cream."

"I'm sorry." Cream said apologizingly.

"Don't be, I mean I known my dad since I was born, maybe your dad is making up for lost time." As cream smiled Jenny helped with her books she walked down the halls to the reception where creams dad was always waiting for her. As they walked down the hall wanted to ask jenny to come along just in case something bad happened but she didn't have the courage, not until sixth period where she needed it the most… in PE. Christy would always pick on her in this lesson but the worse incident would have to be the day they played dodge ball and cream was a target by Christy and her four friends. Cream can remembered standing in the middle of the gym surrounded by the four girls and Christy it was almost like a nightmare. As she snapped out of her flash back Jenny said to her. "At least they were rubber."

"Rubber don't make the nightmares go away." As they went through the double fire exit doors to the reception cream saw matt talking to Maeve, who was a teacher at the academy. As she looked serious at him, she nodded him and gave him a hug, cream cold tell something was wrong. As Maeve saluted him she left without a word, leaving matt at the reception desk waiting for her. As she walked up to the reception desk matt turned round and said.

"Hey cream, how are you?" matt said with a smile.

"I'm okay, what were you talking to Maeve about?"

"That's on a need to know basis. You'll find out later, now come on we got reservations for lunch, lets go." As cream looked back at jenny she asked her dad.

"Dad, can a friend come as well." Matt looked back to see Jenny standing alone matt nodded his head and said to Jenny.

"Do you want to come too?"

"If that's alright with you sir!" she replied excitedly.

"It's fine by me." He said with a smile. As they walked to the car Jenny always wanted to sit in matt's car, every time she saw it she just thought about driving it. As she sat in the back she thought it was very nice and wished her dad had a car like this instead of the old banger he drove. Matt didn't know how long he had left with cream until his meeting tonight with two important people tonight. The time was now 13:30 pm cream and jenny had just finished lunch at a special place matt used to take Maeve but hasn't had time recently. As jenny went to the toilet matt said to cream. "Cream, I'm going to be busy tonight so you're staying round Maeve's for a few nights because without the amount of work I've got I may not get to see you for a few days." Cream nodded.

"It's ok dad, I know what work at Dream X is like, just promise me you'll call just to say I love you."

"You got it." He said with a smile, it was a fake smile but it was so real cream smiled back and said.

"That's al I wanted to hear." As jenny came back cream released her hand from matt and hugged jenny she said to Matt. "It's time for us to get back to school, thanks for lunch dad." As jenny stammered she said bravely.

"Thank you Mr. Sonicble."

"Hey, anytime, come on lets get you kids back." He said as he paid the bill and tipped the waiter. Jenny wished she had a dad like matt, but there was more to him than meets the eye, as matt opened the car his phone rang he looked at the caller ID it was Madison. As cream stopped just outside the door she turned round to see matt looking at his phone matt told her. "Go wait in the car I'll be right there." As matt answered the phone he said.

"Did he call?" he asked.

"No…" she responded. As matt looked at the sky wondering when the guy was going to come Madison said suddenly "He's already here." Matt nearly fell over when he heard that.

"What! How long has he been there?"

"About an hour sir and the lady from the orphanage is here as well."

"What! I'll be right there." As he hung up he got into the car and drove off back to the Academy. As he dropped the kids off he rolled down his window and said to cream. "Honey, you'll be going home with maeve today and for the weekend. I'll pick you up Sunday, ok?" cream nodded as the bell rang, sixth period…joy (!)

"Time to get pounded by the dodge balls (!)" Jenney said to cream sarcastically.

"Don't be so sure." Matt said as he winked and drove off with tyres screeching white smoke back to headquarters. As cream looked confused as matt drove away she thought to herself.

"Sometimes…my dad is just plain weird." She said as she went inside still dreading PE. As matt parked the car he quickly ran through the entrance of the DXHQ catching the next lift up. As he tapped his foot impatiently he muttered to himself.

"How can they be early? I set the meeting for three, not two." As he looked at his watch it said 1400 hours, his gold Rolex had always told the right time, how could he be late? As he walked passed the other agents they saluted him as he saluted back to them while marching quickly to his office. As his secretary got up she said as she handed him the files.

"Here you are sir, the files you requested" the file was quite thick and heavy but matt carried it into the office like it weighed nothing. As he opened the door there standing by his desk was the woman who brought cream to him in the first place and a man… a man that could either break the relationship with cream or strengthen it. As matt walked towards his desk casual like he said to them.

"Hi sorry I'm late, my Rolex has been playing up recently." He said as he tapped the face of his Rolex.

"No that's quite alright, we're a bit early, anyways we thought we have this discussion earlier than later." Said the woman in charge of the orphanage, cream wasn't really an orphan but for a while cream had no one except her next door neighbor. As matt sat down the man said to him.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Chocolate, Vanillas husband….the woman you slept with." Things became a little intense but matt showed nothing towards him.

"Tell you the truth, vanilla didn't mention you at all not until two weeks ago." The room started to feel heavy with anger and the woman intervened before things got out of hand.

"Anyways, there's a simple way to determine which one of you is the real dad to cream. A simple paternity test." As Chocolate retracted he said calmly.

"Fine, but if cream is my daughter she comes with me."

"And if she's my daughter, you disappear and cream never knows about you." Matt said calmly towards him. As matt and the woman talked about cream progress with school and everything chocolate looked more and more out of place because cream was doing well without him or his wife. All these achievements, her reading level and even her level in self defense in four years matt took a sweet young girl into a young and independent and reliable lady, just like Vanilla. Later they took their blood samples and were told to wait two days for the results. The next two days were grilling for both of them, they didn't know who cream took after or who was the real father to cream. Matt started to regret what he said cream was something not to bet on but he just wanted her to be happy to know her real dad. As he waited in his office every day signing paper work just to pass the time he always called cream to tell her he loved her. Then as the clock struck 10 am, Madison came in with his files placing the most important document at the top. At the top was a brown envelop stamped to a Mr. Matthew H. Sonicble from the hidinger hospital. As he opened it up frantically he wanted to know who creams real father was, the atmosphere was too tense for him. As he opened it and quickly read it, his eyes widened as he fell back into his chair. As his eyes became filled with tears he said with sadness in his voice and shakiness.

"No…it can't be." As he dropped the letter the sun peered through the blinds to read what it said that caused matt to rear up. It read

"Sample 1 0% DNA confirm. Sample 2 98.79 % DNA confirm." As matt looked it matt said to himself.

"I guess this means, cream isn't my daughter." He said as two tears dropped onto the letter smudging his name.


	4. Chapter 4

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**Farewell Cream!!!**

"This can't be." Matt muttered these words over and over again as he looked at the letter. He just wanted to cry, he just wanted to break down... But he stayed strong. As he sat back in his chair he knew there was only one thing to do, as he phoned Chocolate to tell him the news he tried to stay strong for creams sake. He remembered when cream first arrived and what the situation was like and regretted ever saying those words to her. "Why did I say that would be an excellent idea?" he said as he rang chocolate at the hotel he was staying at with tears running down his face. The phone rang several times before he finally picked up.

"Hello?" Chocolate answered. Matt bravely said to him.

"Hey, I got the results."

"What they say?" he asked almost bursting in anticipation. Matt seemed surprised, chocolate asking what the results say? Didn't he get a copy of the results since he is the father? Matt could lie and say to him that he was the father but then that would be wrong, he always taught cream to tell the truth. As he remembered the time cream told a lie chocolate said to him. "Hello? Hello? Matt you there?" matt spaced out. He remembered when cream was playing ball in the house and matt told her several times not to. She bounced her orange ball around the house while matt was working things on the laptop working out a new schedule for his employees, as she bounced the ball around, it suddenly slipped out of her hands and bounced off the wall. As the ball bounced off the wall and into a priceless object, the glass smashed and shattered on the floor creams eyes became filled with worry and was starting to freak out a bit. Suddenly her worse fear came to life; her dad had heard the noise. As he quickly opened the door he shouted.

"What was that?" he sounded angry.

"Nothing!" cream shouted back trying to sound convincingly, as her voice trembled she heard footsteps coming down as she quickly tried to pick up the glass making sure she could hide them all, a small glass shard cut her finger. As she quietly moaned in pain licking away the blood her father walked in. as she hid her hand behind her back he asked her.

"What happened?"

"I don't know." She replied. Suddenly a drop of blood fell on the floor.

"Is your finger bleeding?" he said worriedly.

"No…" she said trying to cover up the blood with her foot matt looked at her with piecing blue eyes. She sighed and showed him her hand which was now bleeding quite a lot. As matt gently grabbed her arm he said as he led her into the kitchen.

"Come with me." Cream wondered what her daddy was going to do to her, as they reached the kitchen side, matt picked up a carving knife. The panic in creams eyes began to flicking like Maeve's fire, she thought matt was going to chop her finger off but she soon realized he wasn't, he was simply picking it up to put it away from creams range. As he opened the top cupboard he looked for some items he needed. As he sat cream down on a stool in the kitchen he looked at her finger.

"Okay first we need to check if there's any glass in there." He said as he examined her wound, as he looked he couldn't find any trace of glass. "Okay this next stage is going to sting." He said as he put liquid from an old diet cola bottle onto a ball of cotton wall. "This is called TLC, it's a disinfectant it kills 99.9% of all bacteria in the wound and stops the wound getting infected." As cream nodded following on matt said he gently placed the cotton wool of her finger she flinched and bit her lip from the pure pain of the sting, but with matt's comforting words "I know it stings, but it has to be done." She smiled. As he pulled the cotton wool away the sting started to fade, as he pulled a plaster with kittens on them he placed it over creams finger. "Okay, last stage before this is complete." He said as he lifted creams finger, as he brought it close to his lips, he kissed it. "A kiss to make it feel better." He said with a smile. Cream smiled back and apologized for lying. "Cream do you know why I want you to tell the truth?"

"Because lies bring chaos but truth brings order?"

"That's right, so from now on don't lie, okay?" he asked her with worried eyes.

"Okay dad, I promise." As matt came out of the flash back, he swallowed hard and said to chocolate.

"Can you come to the office at 3pm?"

"Why?" he asked.

"That's when cream finishes school, I think its time she learnt the truth." Meanwhile at school cream was in class just before the school bell rang, suddenly out of nowhere she sneezed.

"Bless you cream." Maeve said as she heard the noise. "Do you have a cold?"

"No…?" she replied. As cream went back to cleaning Jenny next to her said.

"Maybe someone's talking about you?"

"Really?" cream asked confused about a simple sneeze resulting in someone talking about her. "Then what happens when you get a chill down your spine." Cream asked. Before jenny could answer a voice behind her said.

"It means someone just put ice down your back." As cream looked at her back she said to Christy.

"No ones put ice down my back." She said as she turned back to clear the blackboard, suddenly Christy pulled out a tray of ice, which she had made up in the last lesson, as she quietly snuck behind cream ready to drop the ice down her back a flame surround the ice and turned it into water before she got even close. As it fell on the floor Maeve looked up and saw the water on the floor.

"Christy!" she shouted "Your ten years old, I think you can control your bladder problems." As Christy turned red she stormed out of the room with her two clone wannabes trailing behind. As the others laughed Cream looked at the floor she saw that it was just water, as she looked at Maeve, Maeve winked at her and showed her a small flame wrapping around her fingers. As the bell rang everyone ran out the doors to see there mums and dads cream stayed behind with maeve, since maeve was going to see matt for something, probably a dinner and a movie and long walk on the beach but she that would never happen because to her "Matt no fun." Was the phrase she used to describe him. Over the past few days matt has been worried over the results she wanted to be there to comfort him in case the news was bad. Cream noticed that her father's behavior was different from normal she was worried but she never showed to wards her dad. As Maeve grabbed her handbag she said to Cream with a smile "come on cream, let's go and see your dad."

"Okay." Cream replied with a smile. Maeve saw that cream would smile at the mention of her dad's name; she hoped that smile would stay for a long time to come. Back at the Office matt waited for creams real father and for cream, he sat in darkness holding in his hand a locket. The gold heart locket was a present from a mysterious person, inside was a picture of matt and cream when they were asleep in the office, so cute. Cream was fast asleep in matt's arms as her bunny ears lie on his shoulders, he wrapped his arms around her. It was the person's favorite photo. It was also matt's too. As he flipped the lid backwards and forwards, opening and closing matt sighed a sad sigh. He knew it was too good to be true from the moment cream entered his life at least good or bad, he was always have her around him. Suddenly a knock at the door was heard, as matt looked he sadly said

"Come in." as the door opened chocolate stepped in, as he slowly walked towards matt he said to matt.

"I know it must be devastating to find out the girl you had a bond with is not your daughter." As matt sighed he said to him.

"I called you here to discuss terms on the custody for cream."

"There will be no custody, cream is my daughter and according to the law any child under the age of eighteen must stay with their biological father/mother or guardian." The more words that came out of chocolates mouth the more matt became annoyed. It was like matt's work with cream meant nothing and was nothing. "Cream belongs with me and you owe me for when you slept with my wife." Suddenly a crash from outside was heard, a vase smashed on the floor. As matt rushed to the door and opened it he saw cream on the floor in tears. As matt bent down to help her up, creams which were blinded by hate and hurt towards matt she pushed him away and ran to the elevators screaming.

"You lied to me." As matt lay stunned by creams actions on the floor he suddenly got to his feet and went after her. As he ran after he yelled her name.

"Cream, Cream come back." But when matt reached the elevators the doors closed and matt had missed his chance. Last time this happened cream didn't know where to run in DX but now she knows all the routes, he had to stop her this time. As he ran to the exit of the stairs he flew down the metal railings and the marble stairs to reach the ground floor, 16 floors to do in five minutes to catch cream, this is what maeve meant by the power of the father. As matt ran past Maeve, Maeve spun and looked stunned to see matt running. As she ran after him she tried to catch up, but matt was on a man on a mission. As the lift doors opened cream ran for the exit but was quickly caught by matt. As she struggled to get out of his grip she yelled.

"Get off me; you lied to me all these years."

"Cream, if i knew I wasn't your real father don't you think i would have told you." As she slowly came to terms with matt she said quietly.

"Yes." As she slowly bent down to her knees she started to cry she doesn't know what is what anymore. As matt picked her up and cradled her in his arms he said to her.

"It's going to be alright. I promise." As matt held her tightly a small tear ran down his face and landed on her head. Later that night cream was packing her things into a pink suitcase and her first suitcase. As she packed away all her stuff she remembered the places she went to, she was quiet through dinner epically with her two dads there it was like being on trial. As she cried silently the tear drops feel onto her clothes as she packed them away, suddenly a knock came at the door. She ignored it. As the door opened slowly she ignored her dad coming in, she didn't care if it was matt or her real dad, they were both just as bad. One lies to her and the other disappears before she was born, then again that was both of them.

"Hey honey, you ok?" matt asked. She didn't answer why would she answer to him. He slowly crept towards her bed to help her, as he went to fold the clothes up for her she moved them away from him, she didn't want his help. As she slammed her clothes in angrily she refused to talk to him. "Listen cream, I know you don't want talk to me, not after what happened today, but just listen." He asked her "I never knew this day would come I really thought you were my daughter and to find out now your aren't….it doesn't change anything." Cream pretended to ignore him but listened anyway. "Cream, when I first saw you when that lady dropped you off, I never thought of you as scared little girl, I always thought of you as someone who can take care of themselves, believe me I know the feeling." Cream's ears picked up on the last sentence as she turned round she asked him confused.

"What do you mean, you know the feeling?" as matt swallowed hard he took out photo, not just any photo, the only photo of his mother. A beautiful pink haired woman with a warm smile holding a sleeping matt, cream was amazed that matt remembered her mother he never spoke about her before. "Wow she's beautiful, why haven't I seen her?" matt put the photo away and said sadly.

"Because she abandoned me." Cream never saw this side of her dad, a hurt and emotional person over his mother. "Last time I saw her was when I was six years old, just like you cream. Everything that happened to you happened to me as well when I was your age. If I had known from the beginning what happened to you I probably do everything I could to find your mum." As cream sat down next to him she hugged him and said.

"Even if you did find her, I'd still stay here with you." A tear rolled down matt watery eyes and landed on her, as she looked up to see cold salty eyes she stayed in Matt's arms and sighed. As she opened up her brown eyes she asked him. "Did you ever find her?" matt's clear blue eyes became deeper and darker as the pain of a choice he made long ago.

"There's a reason why I came into this room cream."

"And what's that dad?"

"I wanted to tell you why you should go with your real dad." Cream looked shocked.

"What do you mean?" as cream pulled away from matt he told her.

"When I was your age my father asked, "Matt I see your very sad, care to tell me why?" so I did." As matt remembered that day when he was ten he remembered looking out of his fathers office window and seeing all the small building around them. Matt's father's hair shined in the sun as he placed his white gloves on his son's shoulders and stood above him, proud to see where he was today. Not just a leader but a father as well, having a kid would earn bonus points with the ladies round the base. As looked out the window he said to matt.

"Matt, My boy your mother is somewhere out there." His voice was comforting but with a high authority to it.

"In The city?" said the young matt with hope in his eyes. His dad shook his head.

"No, out there, beyond the city, she could be anywhere, that's why today you get to make a birthday choice." Matt looked puzzled normally its birthday 'wish' why was this different.

"Don't you mean wish, dad?"

"No, son. Wishes don't come true; choices set you on a path, a path to whatever you heart desires." As matt stood over at the desk where his birthday cake was and stood above the flicking candles he stood there thinking what his choices were. As his dad turned off the lights he said to matt. "Okay son, these are your choices, in two years time you'll become an official member of the organization. You can either stay here with the organization or when you turn twelve you can look for your mother." Matt didn't know what to choose, as he came out of the memory cream asked.

"So what did you choose?" as matt said sadly.

"I chose to stay. And I haven't seen my mother in 22 years." Cream stroked her fathers hand and said.

"Why did you stay?"

"My dad said to me "A wise man once said; a frog that hops from one pond to another misses the single fly every time, the frog that stays in the same pond catches the fly." So I decided to be the frog and stay in the same pond." Cream shook her head, a simple proverb and matt stays in the city, but then again if he didn't he wouldn't have been here when she had no one else or met her mother. But matt knew more than he was letting on how he met creams mother. As matt got up he said to her "Now cream, its time for your birthday choice." Cream looked shocked she wondered why matt would bring this up. "Ok…" cream said in disarray "What are my choices?"

"You can stay with me and never find out why…or you go with your real dad and find out the truth, because honestly I can't give the answers you need." As he left the room cream sat on bed between two cases, it was almost like her two choices; her brown case the first case she had when she came to see matt was to stay with matt. While her new case that Maeve bought her just in case she went on holiday with maeve and matt was too busy to go was to go with her real dad and find out everything about why she was sent to matt, why her real dad suddenly came back and why all this happened in the first place. She didn't know what to do. As matt slowly came up the stairs with a cup of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows, creams little pick me up epically with whipped cream on top, he called it cream coco. As he entered her room he saw cream looking really upset. "What's wrong honey?" as he put the cup down, cream looked at it then at him with her red eyes. Suddenly she could no longer hold her tears and she ran to matt and buried her head right into his chest. As matt held her tightly his coat became wet with her tears, she hoped this hug would never end. As night turned to day cream stood by the door with her two suitcases, she had made her choice. As her dad packed her bags into the car cream took one last look at the big house. As matt stood in the doorway he saw the dark clouds about to rain. Cream looked at the car she thought it was cold metal monster. She felt this way because it wasn't the car she used to drive around in with matt. The car was a family carrier, a 1992 Plymouth Voyager was waiting to leave. As cream waved good bye to the staff of the big house she ran to matt and hugged him once more.

"I'm going to Miss You." Cream said trying to be a brave girl for matt. As a few tears let out it began to rain. A few drops at first then it became harder, as matt pulled away he took off his coat and put in on cream. His organization coat given to cream was to symbolize a part of matt would always be with her, as she looked at the size it was too big for her, but she kept it on as she ran to the car. As she got in she slammed the door quickly because of the rain became heavier. Matt remained silent he couldn't say goodbye, for this was happening all over again. As chocolate walked over to him he said to matt.

"Thanks for looking after her."

"Your welcome." Matt said quietly. Just before they left chocolate gave matt a small card, as matt looked at the card he saw that it had an address on it for the north district.

"If you're ever in the north district come on by and say hi to cream and me." Matt nodded, as he got in the car the engines struggled to start almost like the car knew cream should stay with matt but it started up and went down the long drive way and indicated to turn right. Inside the car cream hugged matt's jacket tightly and felt warm the smell of matt was still fresh she hoped it would stay. As the car jerked right she drew on the window a heart and put matt's name in the middle, she was already missing him and she was only 50 feet away from him. As she started to feel sleepy she closed her eyes in the warm coat of matt. As she fell asleep a tear ran down her face, on the window a rain drop zig zagged through the heart. A broken heart displayed for the person she loved the most of who she'd be missing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**A Sweet Escape From Memory Lane**

It's been over six months since cream went with her dad, not a single letter or phone call since she left. Maybe it's because she was finally getting all the answers she wanted, all matt ever did was lie to her every time she asked the question "where her mother was" he couldn't answer it all he could say was "Maybe she's out there somewhere looking for you." Matt knew where she was all the time, but he promised her not to tell her until the danger has passed, but what danger could so dangerous that vanilla had to give cream to matt. As he sadly sighed at looked at the calendar, today was Christmas Eve. Most of the agents are at home celebrating the holidays with their families and daughters; this would be the first Christmas without cream in a long time. As matt sadly signed the papers he remembered their first Christmas together. It was gently snowing outside and the only light that was on was the main living room and a tall Christmas trees shadow showed on the white snow. The tree was tall at least nine foot, cream was standing on matt's shoulders to decorate the tree at the very top, the white tinsel, the famous baubles that hung from the branches the very pretty lights the circled round it. Cream giggled happily as she put on the last decoration or so she thought.

"It's pretty." She said as she smiled happily. As matt looked at her he nodded but then he said as he looked at the tree he said

"Something's missing."

"Like what, daddy?" as he got the last box of decorations inside was a crystal star, laid there "Daddy it's beautiful."

"It belonged to my original family, before I was abandoned, but why reminisce about past memories." As matt picked cream up he stretched as far as he could to get her to the top. Cream stretchered as far as she could but still couldn't reach. Suddenly another hand came round.

"Allow me to help." Cream gasped as he looked down.

"Auntie Strawberry, you made it." She said as she smiled down at her. As matt looked at her he said with a smile.

"I'm glad you could come."

"You think I'd miss, my nieces first Christmas with her father, I'm never going to Miss anything." Matt shook his head. Suddenly cream nearly fell backwards, as strawberry and matt tried to support her back, another pair of hands from behind them jumped in and catched her. A familiar perfume filled the room and caught the attention of cream's nose. It smelled like her ballet teacher. As she looked down she said excitedly.

"Maeve, you made it as well."

"Of course." She said with a smile "Do you think a little blizzards going to keep me away, from you or your dad." As matt kissed her on the cheek she smiled and said "By the way, you owe me ten bucks."

"Ten bucks? For what?" matt asked questionable.

"For clearing your driveway." She responded. As cream mange to put the star on the top the lights came on and surrounded them in light. As all four of them looked at the Christmas tree they all thought the same thing, the star on the top was a symbol of true Christmas, not for being on top of the tree but the help that was needed to get there. A young girl with no mother gets support from her dad and her mothers near identical sister and from a friend of the family. Friends and family under the glow of a Christmas tree. As matt came out of the memory a tear ran down his face. As it rolled down his face it fell on top of a pile of letters that sat by his side, as he wiped away his tear he looked through the pile of letters hoping cream had written. As he looked at the handwriting he knew it was either a letter from the government or someone else but not from cream, as he sighed he stumbled upon a striking letter. It was in a pink envelope with a neat handwriting with a familiar smell, a smell of a perfume near forgotten. As matt grabbed the letter open displayed as the model knight's sword he cut the top off and took out the letter he read it word for word. He noticed dates and times in the letter, the date was today and the time was 2pm and a location, the location was at a French restaurant called Café Le Jardin Des Cygnes on the top floor. The top floor of café Le Jardin Des Cygnes was reserved for Dream X agents only. As matt looked at the clock he saw that it was nearly two, he had to leave now. Work for the other agents finished half an hour ago, matt was the last to leave. As he picked up his black coat and his light grey fedora hat he locked the door and walked to the elevators. He waited patiently for it as he waited for the lift he said to himself.

"Ten years, it's been ten years since we last spoke, why would she want to see me at our old meeting place after so long." As the lift doors opened he stepped inside and said "Well whatever she's got planned, I'll foil it like the last several times." Later on walking up the streets in the cold wind, matt was wondering why of all days call him out to their old meeting place ten years after the incident. The restaurant was like an old hangout for the dream x agents, when matt was nothing more than a young kid learning how the world really works. Café Le Jardin Des Cygnes was just ahead it was a big building with a balcony out front for the summer, but that was only for dream x agents also. As he entered through the French double doors he walked over to the waitress he said to her. "Good afternoon my name is Matt Sonicble."

"Ah, welcome Monsieur, your Madame caller is waiting upstairs." She said with blue eyes as she took him upstairs. The ground floor was marbled with a fountain in the middle and soft French music playing. The ground floor had a few tables in the central floor near the fountain and booths all around the room, people were sitting mostly in the centre of the ground floor. The top floor had a white railing going along the tables above with chaise longue like seats and table for two along the top. As he sat down he thanked the waitress and looked at the lady caller and said with a smile.

"Well, well, well…it has been a very long time, hasn't it?" He said as he smiled at her. She however ignored his smiling glance but the turned to him and smiled. Down below a waiter standing by the kitchen entrance was looking up to the top floor admiring matt's lady caller. The waiter with his curly brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a red bow with a waiter's uniform on looked up at her and said to himself.

"I wonder what that girl's name is…To my dearest mother…This girl is very pretty!" he said as he looked at the girl on the top floor with matt. "This girl is very pretty, soft brown hair, like a spring wind…beautiful forehead and emerald like eyes and lips like cherries, I'm mad about her, but she's already with her lover." Meanwhile on the top floor matt sat across from the lady caller and asked her.

"Sakura?"

"What is it, matt?" she asked softly.

"Why did you invite me back to our old hang out after ten years?" matt seemed puzzled why his ex partner would do something like this.

"Oh, what do you mean?" she asked puzzled by matt's statement "You're my only friend in the organization besides Madison, I get so lonely sometimes." As matt looked away he said to her as looked at the fountain on the ground floor.

"So you say… but you're plotting something again, aren't you?"

"Plotting something? You're so mean, matt" she said starting to tear up. "Is that what you think of me?" as matt quickly turned back he saw the tears forming up in his old partners eyes.

"Uh, i…I don't mean that!" he said quickly calming her down before she cried in public. "I'm just afraid of your sudden personality change, that's all."

"No way, matt. It's all your fault anyways."

"M…My fault?"

"Well like, remember when we were six…" as sakura told matt the day when he came over to her uncle's house for a sleepover. She was living with her uncle while her parents were traveling the world and her brother was away on a trip with the high school. "You came to stay at my house, remember?" inside sakura's uncle house a man with an old armed forces coat and a orange beard tucked in a young sakura and matt as they went to bed. As he spoke he spoke with authority as he said to sakura.

"Sakura, if you wet the bed again I'll have to punish you, understand?"

"Yes sir." She said frightened of being punished by her uncle. As she turned to matt she smiled and said to him. "I did it last night, too."

"Really." Said a sleepy matt as he fell asleep. As the moon rose high to the sky an owl woke up on a tree branch outside and hooted loudly. The once sleeping matt woke up after feeling something, as he went under the covers and crawled to the other side; he pushed sakura to where he once was yawned with accomplishment and fell back to sleep. Morning rose and a loud shout came from sakura's uncle's house.

"You miserable brat!" he yelled "How dare you!" as sakura cried from being spanked by her uncle at the wet patch on the bed he told her "Just because your parents are away doesn't mean I won't be strict with you." As sakura cried even more she screamed.

"It wasn't me."

"Don't lie to me young lady, you were sleeping on the stain."

"Matt switched us." He suddenly stopped and glared at matt.

"Is this true, matt?" a chill went down matt's spine as he looked into his eyes. "I can't put up with any wrong doings in my house and don't think I wont spare you just because your not my child." As the young matt looked at him he said frightened of the man.

"I…I…I didn't do it." Suddenly he continued punishing sakura and said to her sternly.

"You see, matt said he didn't do it. Only the lowest of the low would put the blame on someone else." As matt came back from the flash back he told sakura calmly.

"That… sort of thing happens with kids all the time." Suddenly sakura became angry and said to him while shaking her fists.

"What are you talking about? That not all that happened…" suddenly she stopped. A waiter had brought the order she requested before matt's arrival. As he placed the glass down the brown liquid swirled around, she had ordered a cola for matt. The waiter then left without a word. "There's more to it, think hard." She said calmly once again. As the waiter looked at sakura, he blushed bright red thinking about her instead of where he was going. Suddenly he tripped down the long spiral stair case and ended with a crash at the bottom, but that didn't stop matt's train of thought. As matt thought about it he realized what sakura had meant and it was a good memory for matt. As the young sakura cried on her bed matt sat on the bed just below her as he listened to sakura's cries. As he slowly approached her he asked her.

"Sakura…."

"You're not my friend anymore matt." This matt's eyes start to fill with tears. He didn't want to lose his first friend. He had to think of something before he lost his only friend.

"I'll…I'll get your doll back." He sniffed. Suddenly sakura stopped crying, as she wiped the tears away from her eyes she asked him.

"Really?"

"Really!" he replied excitedly. Sakura's eyes turned to worry, her favorite doll was stolen from a bully twice their size and everyone was afraid of him. Suddenly matt smiled and said "I know that look, don't worry I'll be fine and I'll get it back. You can see it when you come over my house next time." As the older matt sighed he said to sakura blissfully.

"What a beautiful story. If I recall I suffered from a broken nose and a black eye getting that doll back for you." Sakura grew angry again and shouted at him.

"Why do you try to turn things in your favor before I make my point." As sakura continued on with her flash back she remembered coming around his house a couple days after he got it back, the black eye was still visible and the broken nose looked horrible. But in the end, matt got it back. He would do anything for his friend sakura. As sakura held up her doll with great joy to be back in her arms, she twirled on the spot and laughed. As she twirled closer to the bed she said happily to matt. "Thanks Matt, I hope you heal quickly." Matt smiled and said to her.

"Same here."

"Can I take her to bed with me?"

"She's your doll sakura." Later that night an owl perched on a branch of an old oak tree at the back of the large house that matt and his father lived in. As the moon rose high to the sky an owl woke up on a tree branch outside and hooted loudly. The once sleeping matt woke up after feeling something, as he went under the covers and crawled to the other side; he pushed sakura and her doll to where he once was yawned with accomplishment and fell back to sleep. The next morning the sound of cars engine grew louder as it approached the large mansion. A white car with a slightly rusted bumper pulled up outside the mansions doors, the maids of the house were busy hanging up the washing, young girls and women in maid outfits unaware of the visitor. As the lord of the big mansion came out he greeted the visitor.

"Ah good morning!"

"Hey, Al how are you?" he replied to the lord of the mansion. Sakuras uncle and matt's dad go back to the days of academy days.

"So what brings you here?" he said jokingly towards his old friend.

"I was concerned; I hope sakura wasn't any trouble last night." As al laughed he told him.

"There was no need, sakura's a really good girl." As a maid hanged up a bed sheet it reveled a wet patch suddenly Al's friends face changed rapidly. He was shocked to see a wet patch on the bed sheet.

"Wh…What is that?"

"Oh, that? It's okay she's just a young girl." Later sakura was once again crying in pain as her uncle disciplined her.

"You miserable brat! To do that in someone else's home." As al rushed in he said to his friend.

"Come now Bernard, I'm sure she didn't mean to."

"No, if I stop now she'll believe she'll get away with anything." As he continued to discipline her sakura kept screaming.

"It wasn't me." But they fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile matt was watching from the crack of his door watching sakura being punished. He felt guilty for this was the second time this had happened to her. Later a car door slammed with sakura sitting shamefully in the front. As Bernard turned to his friend Al he said to him.

"I'm sorry for the trouble she's caused you; I'll take her off your hands now."

"She can stay longer if she wants it's no trouble." Suddenly matt came running out the front doors carrying a small doll.

"Sakura, wait." as matt ran to the car her uncle said to matt.

"Matt, isn't that the doll that got stolen from sakura?"

"I got it back for her." As he looked at him to see his black eye he said to matt.

"You're a brave and generous child. What can't sakura be more like you." As he opened the door he said to matt. "I'm sorry matt, but a child who wets someone else's bed deserves no present. We'll just accept your good intentions." As he drove off matt stayed there holding her doll waiting for another chance to give it to her. As matt looked sad across the table from sakura she told him angrily.

"I really got it when I got home. Till this day that doll still stays in that house of yours, if I take that then I would also take everything that has happened to me and accept it. Which I will never do." Suddenly a waiter passed by, the same one from before that brought her the cola she asked him. "Excuse me?"

"Yes Madam?" he replied nervously.

"One French custard, a la mode, please"

"Yes of course." He said as he ran to the stairs. As matt looked up from his sad slump he asked sakura.

"Sakura, would you like me to treat you." As the waiter made it halfway down the stairs he suddenly tripped at the roar of an angry voice screaming.

"You'd better, you bastard!" as he crashed at the bottom of the stairs sakura said to matt. "You think I'd order something like that if I was paying. I ordered it with the intent of you paying for it." Matt laughed nervously "I'm so glad I quit being your partner and became a detective at the criminal affairs department, I'd never be able to do this." She said as she sat back. "Perhaps you remember a bet we once made on who'd treat whom when we were nine." Sakura remembered that day very well as did matt. They went on an overseas trip with their school to study the animals in different lands. When they came across a meadow outside a forest and in the middle of the meadow grazed a terrifying looking beast. It had a huge black body and three sharp horns; it looked like it could charge into anything at anytime. "That's when we into terrible meadows, teacher said it was off limits but your curiosity lead us there." Sakura said about their trip overseas. As sakura and matt watched it from a distance matt suggested to sakura.

"Let's throw a stone at it and then run away." He said as he pointed to the beast. Sakura became worried of matt's reckless idea.

"Why?" she asked nervously.

"To see who can run away the fastest, the loser has to treat the winner." He explained to her.

"But matt I can't run as fast as you, and that thing would eat us if we get caught."

"Don't worry." Matt said as he picked up a large stone. "I'll save you if you get in trouble." As matt threw the stone sakura hid behind him as the stone hit the beast in the head, the beast didn't seem to notice. As matt looked at it carefully the beast suddenly lifted its head and looked in the direction of matt and sakura, matt and sakura were trembling as the beast stared at them.

"Matt." sakura said worriedly.

"It's fine sakura." As the beast moved slightly in their direction it suddenly gave out a large bellow that echoed through the whole meadow. Then without warning it charged straight towards them by then matt and sakura were already running through the forest. As the beast charged through the forest knocking down every single tree that stood in its path sakura was lagging behind while matt was running almost ten feet in front of her, they both screamed as the raced through the forest the loud stomping of the beasts footsteps running towards them were getting louder and closer but trouble wasn't lying behind them but in front of them, a chasm fifteen feet wide sakura couldn't jump far as she caught up to matt she saw the chasm.

"Oh no." she exclaimed "It's a chasm I'll never make it." As matt reached his hand out to hers he called to her.

"Sakura. Hold on to me." As she grabbed his hand matt leapt across the chasm and to the other side, missing a tree that came down close to them from the beast's charge. As matt landed his feet on the other side he made it on to the edge while sakura face planted into the Cliffside. As matt pulled her up the beast on the other side skidded to a halt and bellowed at them from across the chasm, the roar sounded louder than ever. As sakura cried in fear matt helped her up and held her shoulder and helped her walk back to the village, he said to her reassuringly. "It's okay now sakura, we're safe. He won't be able to jump across." Matt then told sakura across the table.

"If I wasn't with you then, you'd have been in real trouble." Suddenly sakura slammed her fists down on the table and yelled.

"You might be good up to a point, but as usual you think of everything half-assed." Suddenly she looked up; standing by the end of the table stood an injured waiter the one that fell down the stairs from her voice holding her desert in his hand. As she slowly returned back to her seat the waiter nervously put it down and walked away slowly. "It looks so delicious." She said happily her personality changes were getting more frequent. As the waiter turned round he said to himself.

"Is this what they call "ever changing love."?" As he focused on sakura, slowly eating her French desert he tripped at the top of the stairs and rolled all the way down. As sakura held the spoon between her thumb and index finger in her right hand and asked matt calmly.

"Do you still remember what happened after that?"

"Yeah, of course I do. You wouldn't stop crying." He said as he remembered what happened afterwards. At a small busy village outside a restaurant shack sakura and matt both ordered the special. "It's on me sakura." Matt said as he smiled at her. As the chef in the white hat came back he said to them.

"Two shukamas ramen your total comes to 250 ikkou dollars." As matt paid, he then turned to sakura and asked her.

"Ok, sakura, you can pay half for it as well."

"What?" she said as she looked confused at him "You said you would treat me."

"Your ramen is on me, and my ramen is your treat." As sakura thought about it matt said to her. "I was the fastest, so I won the bet." As matt shook his head he then told sakura.

"If you ask me, it all makes perfect sense." Suddenly sakura stood up quickly and shouted loudly as she slammed her fists down on the table.

"It made sense alright, but you have no compassion whatsoever, you jerk." As sakura looked down she saw that the whole ground floor was looking up at her, as she showed her teeth and growled low everyone that looked up returned how they were before sakura's yell. "Even after all that I'd still have to pay the same amount of money. Also my face was all scratched up. I'd look like a complete idiot." As matt sat there looking at sakura and listened to her a waitress walked passed and matt asked her.

"Excuse me, one lemon soda please." He asked.

"Coming up, sir." She said as she walked off. As she walked away sakura raised an eyebrow to him and said to him.

"Matt, are you trying to blame me? To make me treat you to that lemon soda"

"I wouldn't do that sakura." He said to her saying he wouldn't do something so underhanded.

"No, you would it sounds like you. Your capable of doing something like, well forget it I won't pay, not a single dime." As matt rested his arm on the table he turned his head away from the palm of his hand and said to sakura.

"Oh for goodness sake sakura, you really are twisted."

"It's all because of you." She sniped. As matt turned to face her he yelled at her as he stood up.

"It almost sounds like you're trying to make everything sound like it was my fault." Sakura ignored him for she knew everything was matt's fault. "What about the time I saved you from harm, don't you remember." Suddenly turned round and glared at him and yelled.

"No such time ever existed." She said as she slammed her hands down on the table. Her pudding dish jumped into the air and landed back on it crystal bottom a few inches from where it was before. As a sound of rattling glass was heard sakura turned to see the injured waiter from before holding matt's lemon soda. As he slowly placed it down on the table he said nervously.

"Here's the le…le…lemon so… lemon soda, sir." As he carefully put it down he watched sakura just in case she would snap just one more time, the wine glass filled with lemon soda and ice with a slice a tangerine on the side gleamed in the light of the lights above them. As sakura put back her cute face she said to matt sweetly.

"Please matt, tell me? What was that story about again? Tell me it, please?" she said with a sweet smile. As she smiled at the waiter, the waiter screamed and ran away from her personality changes and fell down the stairs screaming in pain, matt watched the waiter as he fell down the stairs he winced in pain as the guy crashed and laid flat out on the floor. Matt sat back down and told her about the day he came round her house to do some shuriken training. They did some training in a room that had her uncle's trophies in from countless battles, enemy helmets and old shotgun rounds, anything that could found on a battlefield the higher on the shelves they were the more important they were to him. At the very top just grazing the ceiling was a glass chalice made out of fine crystal. According to her uncle this was given to him by a princess after the rebellion of castle vlamior in another country. On the plain white walls was a dart board used for practicing throwing knives that were hidden away in one of the wooden draws. As matt threw his shuriken he spun and hit the mark dead on the bull's-eye.

"Bull's eye." Shouted sakura happily when matt made the bull's-eye.

"It's your turn sakura."

"Ok." She said as she closed one eye and tried to make a perfect mark just like matt. As she threw it the shuriken spun strangly to the top and knocked off the glass chalice. It fell to the floor so fast before sakura and matt couldn't gasp of what had happened it smashed on to the floor into millions of tiny pieces. As sakura dropped her shurikens and knelt down in fear and in tears she whimpered. "That was uncle's favorite trophy, what am i going to do?" she said to matt, but before matt could think of anything pounding footsteps from downstairs came upstairs very quick. The door burst opened and there stood sakura's uncle.

"What was that noise?" he asked demandingly. As he looked down he saw the glass chalice broken into pieces, as he picked up the large shards he said trembling. "No…not the glass chalice…" as sakura shook in fright matt stood in front of her protecting her from her uncle saying.

"Sir, it was me, sir." As he then turned to matt he glared at both of them they both shook in fright, sakura's uncle was a very scary man to them. As he reached for the shuriken that was stuck on the wall where his glass chalice was he looked at it and said to them.

"You think I don't recognize sakura's own shuriken?" as sakura's uncle began to discipline her in front of matt he said to her. "I'm not angry at the chalice, it's for you letting your friend covering for you, and I wouldn't have to spank you if you had just been honest with me. I won't put up with your bad natured way of blaming others for everything." As sakura remembered that day she told matt.

"Telling a lie that was quickly found out was a stupid idea. But the main reason why I became so twisted…" as she slowly raised her right hand and extended her index finger and suddenly brought it front of matt pointing straight at him and yelled. "…is because of you, Matt." Matt jolted back to see that he was the blame for sakura's past she then said to him in the same tone of voice when she is serious, it was a low voice of deep hatred towards him. "Matt, you've been living the life of luxury…" she said as she slowly her left and extended her index finger and suddenly brought it front of matt pointing straight at him and yelled. "…At the cost of my own." Matt swallowed hard, it was a bitter pill to swallow but he admitted that his life of luxury came at a cost of sakura's life. As he looked sad his eyes became hollow as he said to sakura sadly.

"You're right. I made you like this." As he slowly got up to leave he told sakura still sad of the realization "I'll give this some serious thought." Sakura said quite pleased with herself to him.

"Hmm… well that took you down a peg or two." Matt nodded as he slowly left. As he made it to the bottom of the stairs he picked up his black coat and his light grey fedora hat he thanked the waitress for earlier. As sakura skipped happily for knowing she had brought down to emotional breakthrough she said happily to herself. "Ah, that feels great." She was almost to the door when the waitress asked.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"Yes?" she replied sweetly. As the waitress brought up her order she said to sakura.

"Cream soda, cola, One French custard, a la mode and one lemon soda. You total comes to two hundred and fifty dollars altogether." As sakura growled low her sweet smile quickly vanished she then yelled.

"All right! I'll pay!" she said as she slammed the money plus tip on the counter in front of her. "Holding a grudge like this we'll see me through tomorrow!" she said as she marched out of the glass double doors. As she marched into the street she saw that is was empty and only one person walking away from the restaurant, a black coat and a grey fedora hat the sun was setting Christmas day was fast approaching she then yelled to the figure. "Hey, Matt!" she said as she stomped her high heel shoe on the ground. The figure turned round and looked at her as he stood in the setting sun. As the cold wind blew through his unbuttoned coat and flapped in the wind she yelled to him. "This is my parting shot! One day soon your day of judgment will come!" she said as she pointed at him from down the street. Matt stood in shock as he listened to sakura's echoing voice down the empty street. Her voice rattled the steel shutters of the closed shops. She then went on to say "And on that day, it'll be me driving in that final nail in your coffin and seeing you being rightfully punished for all that you have done." She then smiled sweetly and said to him sweetly as she left to head for home. "See ya, matt." As matt watched her disappeared from sight into the darkness of near lit street, matt said sadly as he stood in the cold wind of the setting sun with his coat still lightly flapping in the wind.

"Sakura…what happened to us?" he said as a frozen tear ran down his face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**A Christmas to remember **

The sun shone on a hot and beautiful summers day, this was the time when matt went to see cream during the summer time while she was off from her new school. Maeve was shocked to hear that cream was moving to the north district with her real father no doubt, but she read the letter matt gave her she read it again and again; it was like her favorite short novel. By the way the letter was written she thought matt was the real father. She teared up every time she read it, as she read the letter again she got up to where it described the heroic act matt did for her and her sister when they first when…Bump! Matt drove over a pot hole at a high speed. As she hit her head on the hard ceiling above her she rubbed her head and lost track where she had gotten up to. She then glared at matt and said.

"Could you please slow down, I thought you said you knew how to drive."

"I did." He replied "But I didn't say it was in a car." Maeve's face went pale as soon as he said "I didn't say it was a car" what did he mean by "I didn't say it was a car"? She then stammered and asked him.

"So…so what did you pass in?"

"An M1114 up-armored Humvee." He replied quickly. As Maeve gripped tightly to the door handle she regretted coming but she wanted to see cream and gulped hard as she held on to the door frame. As he hit another bump in the road Maeve lost her track on the letter she growled in frustration and said to him.

"That's the fourth time you've done that either stop the car and let me drive or slow down." She said as she rubbed her head. As matt turned his indicators to turn left he slowed down and parked on some undergrowth just by the side of the country road. As he placed his head on the steering wheel he said to Maeve.

"I'm sorry; I'm just so worried about her." Maeve placed her hand on his shoulder and said.

"I'm worried about her too, but driving madly down a country road is only going to lead us to an accident. Cream will be alright, I promise." As matt looked up and at her he said.

"Thanks." As he pulled out he drove slowly at a country lane pace. Maeve continued reading the letter this time she had read it, but she read it so many times she knew it word by word. A tale of a lonely passer by rescuing a stranger he did not know to only risk his life and be injured; only then to be cared for by the stranger. She sighed happily.

"True romance." She whispered. As matt indicated to turn left he turned his black Ford up to a dirt path hill and drove to two houses, north district wasn't exactly a good place to live if you were born in the city. As he arrived at the top he stopped the car quickly. Something didn't seem right. As matt got out he looked around, this was the right address but something was most definitely wrong. As Maeve shortly followed she looked around and asked matt. "Are you sure this the right address?"

"positive." He replied, as he took another look at the card Chocolate had given him. "221 baurburn road, north district." he read the address out loud "This is baurburn road, and this is the north district and the porch reads 221, but it's abandoned." He said as he looked at the rickety old house that look liked it could collapse at any minute. As they looked round they saw the windows were filled with dust and cobwebs, the place had been abandoned for a number of years. The door was broken in half and hanged only by one hinge and weathered away by water, it looked like a storm had hit the place…or something else took place. The steps at the front were rotted to the core one step on them and they would break matt couldn't believe it, he'd been tricked. As matt wondered about that guy, he wondered, could that be the danger Vanilla was talking about…her own husband. As he looked through the windows he saw nothing but dust covering everything. He felt despair he had failed the one mission he was given by her, which he could not do. He felt that all those years of protecting cream and keeping her close to him were wasted, Maeve saw matt slowly slipping into depression and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. As matt turned to face her she smiled and said.

"Don't worry matt, I'm sure cream's a tough girl just like you." She said refereeing to the letter she read again and again. Matt nodded; cream could possibly take care of herself but even so how long was it until she needed him. "Why don't we go next door and ask if they've seen her." She pointed to the small farm house next door. As they walked over to the brown gate they saw a sign on the gate which made them stop dead in their tracks. The sign read "Trespassers will be shot on sight!" Maeve gulped.

"I think its best you stay here." Matt advised, he said as he pulled out his 357 Magnum revolver from his inside pocket and placed it his gun holster behind him. He wore a brown leather holster on his belt that went around his royal blue uniform. Before he went through the gate Maeve stopped him. She handed to him her gun it was a Browning 9x19mm Hi-Power, also known as the Grande Puissance 35. Matt was amazed, he had the same gun from when he was sixteen. She smiled and said.

"Consider it a very late birthday present and a very early Christmas present as well." As matt removed his old gun from the holster he then inserted the new one in the back. He opened the gate it creaked as he went in, the farm was silent the creak echoed around him. It was times like this that it reminded him of the combat training he did with the gun. Walking down a cardboard street with cardboard people with weapons and innocent bystanders coming out but he knew this was a farm and if anything was going to pop out of nowhere, it would probably be a chicken or a cow. He managed to reach the famers house as he knocked he heard the old farmer clambering about suddenly the door swung open and a long black barrel shotgun came at him and the farmer yelled.

"Get off m'land." Suddenly he pulled the trigger and a shot rang out and in a flash of light…matt woke up from the dream. It was just a memory of that day he looked at the alarm clock next to him; it was 7:00 am on Christmas day he just wanted to sleep through the whole day what was the point of getting up; he had no tree up, no decorations or anything to make it feel Christmassy. He was about to go back to sleep when the phone rang, he wished this was the nightmare that ended. As he grabbed his blue robe that hung on the hook to the side of him he sleepily walked to the phone that was in the living room, Cerberus began to bark.

"Shut up, Cerberus it's too early for this." As he picked it up he said tiredly. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Merry Christmas to you too, matt." The voice said to him. Her voice was sweet almost as sweet as cream's.

"Oh? Strawberry? Sorry, Merry Christmas." Matt wondered why she was calling him; she probably wants to talk to cream to say merry Christmas while she was Africa on a water mission. "How's Africa?" he asked trying to avoid cream coming to the phone.

"It was hot, but now I'm at the airport and it is freezing."

"It's cold in Africa?"

"It's cold here in central!" Matt gulped, she was here that was not good.

"I'll be there shortly." He said as he put the phone down. Something didn't seem right, if Chocolate was the real father wouldn't he have told his wife's sister where she was but the sounds of the conversation they had it seemed she didn't know. As matt tried to call Maeve he kept getting her answering machine. "Come on, pick up Maeve, pick up, dam you!" no answer. As he quickly got his uniform on and grabbed his keys on the side he remembered what Maeve did for him that day. The shot rang out but it wasn't from the old farmer's shotgun. The bullet that fired was in the doorframe next to him, the old man couldn't pull the trigger matt could tell by the way he was holding the guns trigger all crooked like. It seemed he had arthritis in his trigger finger. As matt turned round he saw Maeve no more than ten feet behind with the gun in her hands with incredible accuracy.

"That's enough of that." Maeve said with a smile "Now drop your weapon sir, we don't mean to trespass." As the old man dropped his shotgun, it opened up and revealed no bullets were actually in the thing. Matt was still until Maeve stood next to him as he turned to look at her he said to her.

"Nice shot."

"Thanks I've been practicing." As they turned to the farmer who was still a bundle of nerves from that shot matt asked the man "Sir we just need to ask you a couple of questions." The farmer nodded and let them in.

"Sorry about ol' Bessie staring at ya, I thought you'd be that Clayton fella again." He said as he closed the door the inside of the living room was an old western style barn room. The famer had a hunched back and a few missing teeth from his smile. As he gave a small laugh he said to them both. "I'd be right back, just make yourselves…comfortable." As matt looked at the room Maeve asked him.

"What was up with you back there, you just froze." Matt shook his head his head.

"Nothing, it was nothing."

"That nothing almost nearly cost you, what if that gun was loaded how would cream react, if you died." Matt remained silent, Maeve saw matt was worrying about cream almost to the point of death. She placed a hand on his and said. "We'll find her, don't worry." Matt smiled. As came out of the memory he was fumbling around all his keys trying to find the one key he needed. He found it and ran outside to the station wagon in the freezing cold. As matt opened up the door and started up the engine to his station wagon he knew he would have to tell strawberry of past events, the roads were surprising clear, no traffic, no snow blocks and the icy roads had already been salted. It was Christmas after all, all with their families. Matt envied them. Alone with all the staff in a giant mansion with only his pet dog Cerberus, a German shepherded, a 10 year old German shepherded. He'd gladly give all that up for cream. Meanwhile at central airport strawberry stood near the pavements waiting for matt, the winds were awfully chilly but no snow fell. She was almost went to get a cab if it wasn't for the horn honking at her letting her know that matt had arrive. As she picked up her luggage matt got out helping her with her luggage.

"Hey strawberry, how are you?" he said with a warm smile.

"I'm ok, apart from you know freezing in the cold."

"If I knew you were coming earlier I would have been here the second you landed." As matt picked them up for her. As strawberry looked around she noticed someone was missing. As matt opened the boot to the station wagon strawberry said to matt.

"Where's cream?" matt stood frozen for a moment a chill went down his spine, the words of that question were as cold as the wind themselves. As matt hesitated he finally said to her.

"Yeah, there's something I need to explain to you." Strawberry didn't like where this was going but she got in the car all the same. As matt slowly drove off he explained to her how cream's real father turned up and the test results showed up as well. Strawberry nearly cried.

"That must've been tough for you. The girl you thought was your daughter…"

"Turned out to be someone else's." as matt waited at the traffic lights waiting for them to turn green, strawberry said to him.

"You were a good dad, and you still are. Cream will always remember you." This didn't make matt feel any better. Before the lights turned green matt's phone rang as he went to answer it strawberry answered it for him, the lights had turned green so matt drove slowly off. As strawberry nodded she said words like "Yeah," and "sure, we'll be there." As she hung up she smiled and said. "That was Maeve, she's waiting for us at Dream X…she's got a surprise for you." As matt indicated left to head to the DXHQ he said to himself.

"At this point there's nothing that would surprise me." The road ahead was still icy so matt drove even slower. As he came to the big building he pulled into the staff car park, he saw Maeve's red mustang sitting idle in the lone space they were the only two here. As matt got out, strawberry followed she smiled a secret smile. As matt caught the smile he asked her. "What's that smile for?"

"No reason." She simply replied still smiling. Matt shook his head and entered through the automatic glass double doors and headed straight for the elevators to take him to the top floor. That's what strawberry told him in the car before getting out; this was turning into one weird Christmas. The floors were empty the only ones to the building our matt, Maeve and the caretakers. Why would Maeve want to meet matt at DX during the holidays, then he started to think what the surprise was, he thought of something but the thought went because his face started to go red. As he looked behind him he thought he saw cream in the corner rocking back and forth hugging her knees. This was the elevator that she ran into he remembered getting down on his knees in a $500 suit and hugging her, it seemed like only yesterday. He remembered as he held on to her tightly like he had done it a million times before. He spoke gently to her, trying not to frighten her. "It will be ok little one, I may not know a lot about being a father or anything about children but with a little help I am sure that I can be what you need. We can help each other o.k.?" He said as he brushed cream's ears out of her face and gave her a gently kiss on the forehead. Cream smiled up at her new father. "Maybe this won't be so bad." she thought to herself. Matt picked up cream and pressed the top floor button to carry her back to the office. As the lift doors opened on the top floor he followed the past matt holding cream to his office. He wanted to go next to him and say, "Keep her past a secret." But he knew there was nothing he could do. As he approached his office Maeve stood there smiling she saw matt wasn't happy.

"Come on scrooge, where's your Christmas spirit? Christmas past has joined us." she said jokingly. Matt didn't look happy she realized for matt it was too soon for jokes. "So you ready for your surprise?" she asked. Matt said to her.

"After the months I had without cream, any surprise would be great." as Maeve took his hand she said excitedly.

"Oh believe me this surprise will be great, better than great. Now close your eyes." As matt closed his eyes Maeve opened his office door as matt kept his eyes closed and a hand grabbed his, he flinched a bit suddenly Maeve said to him with a slight squeal. "Okay matt open your eyes." As matt slowly opened his eyes he could smell a familiar smell, the perfume he once bought for Maeve but was given to someone else instead. As he opened his eyes he looked down to see a gently smile on a very close person to him. It was cream she smiled and said.

"I've missed you…daddy." Matt got down on his knees and cried, he was brave enough to cry for creams safe being. As he hugged her she hugged back and cried small tears on his shoulder. It was an emotional scene but why cream called matt daddy was beyond him. As he wiped his tears away he said to cream.

"Cream…I'm so glad your safe, but I'm not your daddy." Suddenly a voice came from the dark office.

"Actually, you are…" as matt looked up he saw chocolate standing in the door way "We need to talk, matt." He said seriously. As matt stood up he told Maeve and strawberry to go downstairs and wait with cream while he stayed upstairs with chocolate, he tossed them the keys. As Maeve catched them she could feel rage in matt's throw. The door closed behind him and matt walked towards a cabinet with a lock on it. It was a drinking cabinet where he kept his best alcohol in it.

"Whisky?" matt asked chocolate.

"Just a little." He replied. As matt brought out two drinking glasses from the cupboard on the right, he poured the whisky into the glass. As he passed it to chocolate he asked him.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" as chocolate sighed he said to matt regrettably.

"Before I say anything, I just want to apologize."

"Apologize?" matt said confused. He then took a gulp of whisky "For what?"

"For everything." Chocolate replied.

"Oh, you mean like giving me the wrong address? Or was it keeping cream from writing or even phoning me? Or it could be the fact, you lied to me!" matt said starting to sound angry. "You know when you came here I actually ran a background check on you, you know just to be sure and do you know what I find."

"What?" he asked matt anxiously.

"Nothing! I found nothing on you!" matt said as he slammed down his whiskey glass. "Apart from a marriage certificate to Vanilla; apart from that nothing about you exists." Chocolate looked away, matt was right but there was a reason for that. Matt couldn't understand this guy nor will he ever if he didn't try to at least find out why he came back. "Okay, Chocolate tell me, how you did you found out about cream."

"It was by accident really. I was looking for something else in the archives and I came across your name and a picture of your daughter." He then took something out of his pocket and showed it to matt. "The lady from the orphanage gave it to me, she said it was lovely to see you again when she dropped cream off." matt flinched.

"I see… anyways there's something that doesn't make sense." Chocolate looked up.

"And what would that be?"

"Why did you disappear?" meanwhile downstairs Strawberry was talking to Maeve by matt's car, as cream played happily in the snow. Maeve looked puzzled at her.

"What do you mean he disappeared several months after he married vanilla?"

"That's exactly what I mean; he disappeared months after he married my sister. But what I don't understand is why?" she said trying to figure it out for herself. Maeve knew this family was wrapped up in secrets, secrets that cream herself knew nothing about. "More importantly maeve, how did chocolate contact you? He would have called me first but he didn't." Maeve wished she knew why he called her and not his sister-in-law. Cream phoned Maeve three days before Christmas asking how matt was and everything, she sounded fine so she wasn't in any danger, she said she wanted to see daddy again. Just then Matt and chocolate came out of the building; he had a smile on his face.

"It's official." He said happily. "Cream is coming home." Cream got up from the snow excitedly after making snow angels and ran to her dad…her real dad. As matt hugged her chocolate said to matt.

"I'm really sorry…for what I did."

"Its okay, the important thing is she's back."

"No, it's not okay. I lied and cheated just because I thought having cream around would bring back vanilla…but it didn't." Chocolate looked sad, his whole life was taken from him; matt couldn't leave a soul alone on Christmas day. As he walked over to him he placed a hand on his shoulder and said.

"Chocolate in the spirit of the holidays, why don't you come back to our place for the holidays. It would mean so much to cream." Chocolate looked down on creams pleading eyes and said.

"How can I say no to those eyes." Creams eyes lit up with joy, and with that the got in the car before it started to snow again. As they drove slowly home He turned to cream and said.

"If I knew you were coming back I would have decorated the house with the Christmas effect." Cream smiled and said.

"It doesn't matter, I'm back with my dad." Matt held back the tears, he wished his dad was here for Christmas but ever since he gave Dream X to him he hasn't heard word from him, well he wasn't going to do that to cream. As the windshield wipers went back and forth clearing the snow off the screen a sudden bright lights of all the Christmas colors glowed in the darkness of the snow, it was matt's mansion. All the lights and Christmas decorations were up…but how? As the two cars pulled up the drive and followed the Christmas lights up they saw by the front door, the staff of the house all the maids, cooks and security guards and chauffer drivers stood there in the blizzard waiting for matt and the other to come home.

"I thought you said you didn't have any decorations up?" Maeve asked looking at matt with a questionable look.

"I didn't." matt said directly at her. . As matt got out of the car, he couldn't believe it he was only gone an hour, how did so much get done in a short amount of time? The snow came down and everyone welcomed back miss cream to the mansion. Chocolate was impressed with the house and strawberry was amazed with the decorations. As the snow started to pick up everyone went inside the air outside became cold and dark but the house was warm, the house looked amazing. Tinsel hanged across the hallways lights flickered and flashed as they twirled around the tinsel and decorations. The living room had tinsel and decorations everywhere even across the old bookshelves the tree stood in the centre of the room with lots of presents underneath, where did all this come from? As matt turned to the staff he asked.

"Who did all this?" he asked. A maid in her uniform approached and said.

"I planned this, sir. But we did it together." She said quietly, she wasn't the type to speak out of term with her master. Her eyes were black and she had short curly hair, she was a very beautiful girl and she blushed every time she was near her master.

"You?" matt asked "You Planed all this, Reine?"

"Yes sir. I'm very sorry if I displeased you." She said as she looked down at the floor. Suddenly matt put a finger underneath her chin and slowly lifted her head up, next thing she knew his lips were touching hers. Her eyes were closed as she felt the passionate kiss between her and her master. As he pulled away, Reine still remained stunned and face went beet red as she opened her eyes she said with a squeak. "Thank you master matt." As she shielded her red face from him she quickly went back to work up the stairs. As cream looked up she saw mistletoe hanging from the archway above. Matt looked over by the table and saw an old wooden box the same wooden box he got back in June from the crazy old farmer. What he said to matt about the wooden box stunned him. As he remembered that day.

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" matt asked the farmer.

"Nope, sorry, sonny."

"Thank for your time, come on Maeve lets go." Said matt sadly as he got up to go.

"Don't worry matt will find her, I promise." Suddenly the farmer had a near heart attack when Maeve said matt. As he wheezed and spluttered he asked them as he stammered shaking his old joints.

"D..d…did you say, his name was m..m…matt?"

"That's right…is something wrong?"

"M…matt as in matt m..mus…mustang?"

"No, Matt as in Matt Sonicble."

"I knew it, the ol' gal was right, she said you'd come up here one day." Matt and maeve looked at each other and thought did this guy eat wacky cactus? As the old man went rummaging through a closet door he pulled out something. An old wooden box?

"it's a box sir." Maeve said to him stating the obvious.

"This ain't any ordinary box, little lady." He said as he tapped the top. "it's a special wooden box given to me by the kindest lady I have ever met. She left this here saying that if someone comes up here saying his name was Matt Sonicble I was to give this to him." As he handed to matt he opened and what he saw inside brought a tear to his eye.

"Mum…?" he said as he gasped. The music played a soft melody the song his mother used to sing to him, "The Lilly song." As cream called it. Inside was a key…matt didn't know to what but his mum must've left it for some reason. "Sir, quick tell me when did you first meet my mum?" as he pondered about the time he met his mum, he finally said to him.

"It must have been 22 years ago."

"That's the same time she abandoned me."

"Hush up!" he said angrily to him. Maeve and matt looked at him, he then said with a mad glare "Your mother didn't abandon you, she was forced to run away."

"Why?" matt asked. Suddenly the famer became quiet and said.

"I can't say, she wouldn't tell me but she was a sweet thing, worked on my farm for 12 years before she had to run away again." As matt came out of the memory he still wondered what her mother was running away from and why? But today wasn't the day for questions, today was a day of miracles. Part of matt's past was cleared up and he got something to remember his mother by, Part of his present returned to him and was looking for a good future with her. he could see her grow up, become a great young woman and maybe…just maybe, follow in her old man's footsteps. The snow blew hard outside but the warmth from the fire and the love in the mansion melted the snow away. This day would always be a great day but for matt, the best day would always be 1st of January, for that was the day Cream first came into his life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THAT READ AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR

FROM

PROJECT M


	7. Chapter 7

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**The house of the returning memories **

**3 years later… 28****th**** may**

"Catch Cream." Matt said as he passed down a box to her, she was listening to her mp3 player while working with her father. As she took the box through the large hallway and out to the wide front garden where a truck was waiting. As Cream loaded it on to the truck that read. "_**Hersons and sons storage company LTD."**_ She wondered why her dad would drive her all the way here to move some old junk. He wouldn't tell her about the house or where they were going; her dad had been acting strange. Two weeks earlier he told Cream he was going away for a while and that he'll be back soon. She knew her father was a busy man but he didn't tell her anything and now they were outside some rich woman's house moving all her stuff into storage,, she wanted to know more about who they were helping but she had to get more boxes from the truck to pack more stuff in. As she carried the boxes into the house she saw her dad looking at something.

"What cha' got there." She asked with her teenage voice and slang. As Matt quickly put it away he said casually.

"Nothing, it's nothing. Listen Cream we're almost done here, why don't you go take a break. Just be careful"

"Whatever, dad." She said as she walked away with both headphones in. as she pulled out her phone from her jean pocket she started texting someone. As Matt watched her walk away he sighed and shook his head. As he looked back to the stuff he was packing he said to himself.

"Sometimes I think your little girl grew up too fast, but then again you didn't have a choice." He piled up the boxes and left them by the front door as he wiped the sweat away from his head he wondered what Cream was doing. Upstairs Cream was chewing her favorite chewing gum, _**splodinging berry**_, when she walked down the hallway outside some rooms. She came to a door that was open.

"Well dad did say to be careful, so no harm in a little peek." She said as she walked into the room. She saw that it was like a small girl's room for a six year old or younger. The pink wallpaper was hanging off the walls and the floor was covered in dust, as she looked around the room seemed familiar but she had never been to this house in her life. A teddy bear laid on the bed sitting the dusty room, its golden fur was filled with dust and his brown eyes looked at her. The pink bow around its neck made it look sweet but it needed a serious wash. She looked around the dusty room she saw where her footprints were left when she walked, on a small desk she saw a dust covered book, it caught her eye and she wanted to see what it was about. As she blew the dust off it swirled and came back towards her, she coughed and wiped the dust out of her eyes. As she looked at the cover it read in the italic and bold title.

"_T__**he brave knight from a Dream**_." The author was done by a V.R. DeauXnim, Cream had never heard of an author called VR DeauXnim. She read the first chapter of a princess due to be married to a prince and decided to celebrate with her sister of a princess in a new strange town only to be cornered and attacked by a group of thugs. The chapter ended by a shadowy figure standing at the alley way saying.

"Didn't your mums tell you it's not nice to corner young ladies? No guess I'm going to have to teach you that lesson." He said as he cracked his knuckles and dropped his bag. Cream felt relieved to know that this princess was going to be saved by a knight in shinning blue armor. As she took the book and the teddy bear she left the room leaving her footprints behind in the dust that settled. As she came downstairs she saw her dad packing in the last of the boxes. She wanted to keep the book and take the sad teddy bear home; she saw one last box near empty but was a place to hide the book and the bear. While Matt wasn't looking she quietly put the book and the teddy bear in the box and then sealed it quickly with the parcel tape next to her and carried the box out to the truck. The sun was slowly starting to set and Cream saw a swing set on the front garden hanging from a tree branch, it was hanging by a pink rope. She felt like she had been here before, her dad seem to know this place well. As he walked on over to her, he asked.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah honey?"

"Can you answer my question now?" Matt bit his lower lip, he refused to answer her question earlier but now that they were done he thought there was no harm in letting her know.

"Okay Cream your answer to your question is…this was your mother's house!" Cream stood in shock and collapsed on to the swing.

"This was…my mum's house?"

"Yeah, you grew up here…shame I didn't see you grow up here." Cream was still in shock, her house, her room and her teddy bear…this was all hers and her mothers, but what did her dad hide this from her. Another question circled in her mind.

"Why are we here?"

"Well Cream…" Matt started to explain "In a few days your mother would have been missing for seven years and when that happen she is then legally and technically…declared deceased."

"But she's not dead, I know she's not."

"She isn't honey, but we have to move her stuff before the new owner buys it." Cream suddenly she felt all hope had left her, her home; her past was being sold to who knows who and what would happen. She had visions have the house getting knocked down for something disgusting and gross… A kingdom burger restaurant! The most disgusting fast food chain in the district, her mum never liked it. Her mum always said "Kingdom burger is nothing but a grease death trap that takes innocent kids money for disgusting burgers that look like they've been cooked in a rat infested grill, plus it makes the kids unhealthy, fat and filled with gas." As Matt walked back to the truck Cream felt sad, her once home before she was left in an orphanage was going to be bought for either a power hungry CEO or worse, a chain of disgusting fast food restaurants. She was silent the whole journey and even at home as well. Her texting speed on her mobile went from fifteen words a second to five words a minute. She seemed really sad, Matt wanted to help her but he didn't know how, but before he could he remembered what today was and how to go out, he'd bring Cream back something to cheer her up. As he grabbed his coat he said to Cream. "I'm going out for a while honey, I'll be back later, ok?" Cream didn't reply. Matt left the house and started to walk down the drive way. It was nearly dark but Matt continued to walk down the streets it his black coat and fedora but where was he going? At the wal-mart down the street Maeve had just finished her shopping as she came out with two carrier bags, she was walking to her car that wasn't parked too far away. As she unlocked her car and loaded the shopping she slammed the boot door shut when she looked up and saw a familiar person.

"Is that…Matt?" she wondered. She wanted to shout out to him but Matt was going down a street through a dark alley. "I wonder where he's going?" she wondered further. As she locked her car, she chased after him following him closely in the shadows. Their steps were in sync as they walked down the darkened alley way, Maeve was wondering why Matt would come down here. As she accidently kicked a can she had behind a dumpster the second Matt quickly turned round, luckily it was getting dark and Matt didn't see her. The smell of rotten eggs and god knows what was strong as Maeve held her breath and waited for Matt to move on. It seemed like hours before he moved again as he turned a corner Maeve breathed again. Maeve then continued following him but it led her to an old abandoned house… why would Matt come here? Inside Matt was in what seemed to be a living room; the walls were covered in slashes and bullet holes in the walls, signs of a struggle left behind in the living room, what would posses Matt to come here, as she looked on the floor through the shattered window she saw a chalk line of a body…this was a murder scene. Matt looked around the living room, he was so engrossed in the houses history on the walls he didn't notice Maeve walking in. his hand was stroking the wall that had deep slash marks in, he sighed sadly.

"We never did find out who did this?" as a tear swelled up in his eye, maeve then creaked on a floorboard with that sudden noise Matt swung up and threw a small blade towards the noise striking the wall narrowly missing Maeve. "Maeve…what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that." She said as she pulled out the knife from the wall. "What you doing here?"

"What…? A man can't walk into an abandoned house without having to explain why he's there?"

"Yeah!" Maeve exclaimed.

"Fine, this place was my…" he stopped mid sentence, Maeve seemed surprised why he stopped.

"This place was you're…?"

"This place was my…first case! Yeah that's it."

"Your first case?" she said surprised.

"Yeah, my dad pulled a few strings and got me to be in charge of my first murder case, unfortunately that was first and last case. I never did find the murderer." As she walked towards him, she stood next to him near the chalk line and asked.

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen."

"Fourteen, why?"

"My dad wanted me to have some experience in the field of investigation." he said, he sounded like he didn't enjoy it, Maeve nodded she could relate.

"Dad's always think they know what's best for their kids, but they don't know what we want." She added with detest for fathers, especially her own. Matt can only remember Maeve talking about her father once but nothing about him just the time he and she bonded. As the house creaked she said to him.

"Maybe we could discuss this over some dinner?"

"Sure, I'll buy." Matt offered. As him and Maeve left the house he looked back at the broken door and the destroyed garden. "It was scheduled to be demolished but I bought the place. I can't let a memory like this escape me." Maeve nodded in agreement even though she had no idea what he was talking about. When they walked down the dark alleyway the walked past a hotel where someone was watching them. He watched Maeve and Matt behind the curtains and watched them, as they walked hand in hand to her car, where she offered to drive Matt to the restaurant where he was taking her, only after he helped her unpack her shopping. As he continued to look on he saw Matt saluting her and her reaction was laughing hysterically nearly curling over from the side splitting. The shadow crumpled up the paper he held in his hand and gritted his teeth, as they drove off he looked down at the crumple up paper and started again, writing something. Later on at an Indian restaurant called "_**The Bombay Cuisine**__._" Matt and Maeve were laughing and eating spicy curry; Maeve loved hot things and so did Matt. As desert came Matt asked Maeve.

"Say, Maeve?" as Maeve placed a finger on his lips she said to him.

"Ah, Matt we're not at Dream X call me by my nickname you gave me."

"Okay…" he said as she removed her finger.

"Say, firefly I was wondering?"

"Yes my sugar dragon?"

"Would you…um." He hesitated.

"What is it?" as Matt turned bright red he asked Maeve.

"Would you…take Cream shopping this weekend she's umm…gotten to "That stage"." He air quoted.

"You mean…she needs a training bra?" Matt went brighter.

"Yeah, and I can't take her because well…"

"You're a guy?"

"Yeah, I don't know what to do with "That area"." He air quoted again.

"Sure Matt, but you owe me."

"Don't I always." She laughed. Later on Maeve dropped him off at home with a Chinese take away for Cream, her favorite; duck with bamboo shoots. As Matt slammed the door Maeve had her window down. "Thanks for a wonderful time Maeve that was fun; we should do it again sometime."

"It was and next time, I'll pay for dinner." She said with a smile and a wink she then drove off, Matt smiled and walked towards the door. As he looked up he saw Creams window was open, and then a flash of a shadow on the curtains of a boys figure in her room. As his eyes flared up in anger and he stormed to the front door, before he got there Reine greeted him at the door.

"Welcome home, sir." She said as she bowed in her maid outfit. As Matt walked passed he handed her the Chinese takeaway bag and said.

"Here, this is for you." She could sense he was angry and asked.

"Is everything all right? Sir?"

"I want to know how let a boy in my house?"

"What Boy, sir? No boy has passed through here today." She replied. Just then it suddenly came to Matt…the open window. As he stomped up the long staircase to the Creams bedroom door he banged on her locked door.

"Cream, open up." Matt sounded pissed, Cream quickly in her bedroom tried to hide him. "I'm giving you to the count of three to open this door. One…Two… thr-." As she opened the door, she said innocently.

"Yes daddy?"

"Why was your door locked Cream? You trying to hide something…or someone?" he said as he marched quickly in and quickly took a look round.

"No of course not." She replied still innocent. It didn't take Matt long to find the boy because his shoes were sticking out of the curtain, what was this kid three years old? As he looked at her he said to her.

"Cream you know I don't like you lying to me, remembered what we talked about?"

"Truth brings order, lies bring chaos."

"So I'm going to ask one question and I want the truth."

"Yes daddy." She replied.

"Now Cream…is there someone in this room?"

"Yes daddy."

"Who?" he asked.

"My…loving, caring and completely understanding father." She said as she outstretched her arms to hug him. Matt laughed for a moment and then said.

"Well…I hope that's not him behind the curtain because I'M YOUR GODAMN FATHER." He roared Cream flinched back in fright. "GET OUT HERE GENIUS!" he roared to the boy behind the curtain. As the boy with peachy skin and brown hair peeked around the corner he looked at Matt with his brown eyes and asked.

"You mean me…sir?" Matt couldn't believe it, this kid…was a moron.

"No (!) The idiot behind the curtain."

"Oh thank god!" the boy said with a sigh of relief.

"GET OUT HERE NOW." He roared. The boy ran from behind the curtain and next to Cream in a split second. Cream gulped hard, she had never seen her dad so angry. "Who is this?"

"My name's Chris sir, it's an honor to meet you." He said as he outstretched his hand.

"But your hand back before I tear it off." Matt said furiously.

"Yes sir!" he quickly responded.

"You and me are going to have a serious long talk later, young lady." He said as he looked at Cream. "But for now what to do with you." He said as he looked at Chris.

"Whatever you want sir?" he stupidly answered.

"I don't know I'm asking you."

"Whatever you want to do sir."

"I'm just saying its your butt that's going to get a beat down, so I'm asking you what you want to do."

"Anything you think of sir its ok with me."

"All right then." Matt said as he grabbed Chris by the collar of his strip shirt and dragged him on his jeans. As Cream tried to kiss him goodbye Matt stopped and said. "Don't move, I'll be back in a minute." As Cream watched from her window the doors opening and Matt's shadow throwing Chris out of his house and onto the lawn and shouted. "You come near my daughter again, I'll have you arrested." The doors then slammed shut and the sound of heavy footsteps came up the stairs. Cream felt like she was a prisoner about to be executed right about now she wished she was. As Matt came in he said to her. "I'm not gonna yell, I'm just ask two simple questions. One why was he here without me seeing him first and two…what the hell did you see in that boy? The boy was dumb as a post… probably worst." Cream didn't answer. "Why did you sneak behind my back? You know the rules, no boys until your sixteen."

"Dad, that so unfair!" she whined.

"Life's unfair, it's one of the things we get use to." He said as he looked out the window.

"Most of the girls at school go on dates, why cant I have a date too." She explained.

"You want a date? Fine here's a date for you… August 12th 2040. You know why that's a special date?" he asked, Cream shook her head. "That's the day you get to leave this room, you are grounded!" as Cream looked sad Matt said to her "Maybe I should let your Aunt Strawberry know."

"No, no, no please dad, no, not Aunt Strawberry please." She pleaded, Matt was tough but fair Aunt Strawberry the only thing Cream could think of was duck and cover, when she got mad.

"All right, I wont tell her but you got to tell Cynthia you killed her rat."

"What?"

"Never mind." As he left for the door Cream said to her dad.

"Dad?"

"Yes honey?"

"He was extremely cute, wasn't he?" she asked about her boyfriend.

"Yep, and so was the rat and if comes near you again he and the rat will have something else in common." He said as he closed the door. Cream was a good girl… when she wanted to be but she had never seen her dad so angry and did what she was told.


	8. Chapter 8

**Duties of a Father: 2**

**Reconciling and Reunions**

Cream had been in a room for what seemed forever, she was so glad it was Saturday. The mall was busy, it was a Saturday after all but she was glad to smell the greasy nachos from the food court she loved so much again. She hated the smell of kingdom burger that was mixed in with the nachos but stomached it. Meanwhile in Girlz style Maeve and Cream were chatting in the changing rooms about school and stuff.

"Thanks for taking me out shopping Maeve."

"No problem Cream, you dad can be a little…strict."

"I know, but I think he does it because he cares sometimes I think he cares a little too much." As Maeve listened to those words she said under her breath.

"Better than a dad who doesn't." In the changing room next to Maeve, Cream was having trouble putting on her first training bra. Finally she got it on.

"Men don't have this trouble with their underwear, so why do we women have to suffer." Cream asked Maeve.

"Well true men don't have problems with their underwear but they have other problems."

"Like what?"

"God gave men a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time." Cream laughed, she had never heard something so funny towards Men kind before. Later on Cream paid for her new panties and a new set of training bras. As she packed them into the bag she told Maeve about what Matt did to her boyfriend.

"It was so embarrassing, I was surprised he was able to talk to me after what happened."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"He dragged him down the stairs and threw him out of the front door." Cream said with raised eyebrows to Maeve. Maeve bit her lower lip.

"How about I talk to your father?" Creams eyes lit up.

"Would you? Ah Maeve that'd be sweet if you could."

"But…" Maeve added. "But what?" "I can see where matt's coming from, you always have to be careful not to be easily swayed by a man's words. There are a lot of users in the world so it is best that you know who they are before they break your heart." Cream could understand, but why her dad had to be super strict. Their stomach suddenly rumbled, as they laughed Maeve suggested. "How about we got some nachos?"

"Dad said I can't have any junk food."

"Well I don't seem him anywhere." She said as she scouted the area. "Plus I wont tell him if you don't." Cream smiled.

"Thanks Maeve, you know if you and my dad ever get married you'd be the best step mom." Maeve smiled at that warm thought and took Cream to Senior Nachos. The weekend ended and Cream went to school and she was still grounded that meant no boyfriend, no cell phone and had to be at Dream X 15 minutes after the bell rings and she had to sit with her dad for three hours until he finished work, suddenly all that tough but fair thing about her dad… just disappeared. As walked along the path towards Dream X she realized she was down to her last 50 cents, not enough to buy a pack of sploding berry bubble gum, she was suffering from teenage stuff withdrawal. She was muttering herself how her dad could be so cruel she just wished she had enough money to buy one stinking pack of sploding berry when…it hit her smack down in the face. A guy in grey trench coat carrying a black single shoulder strap bag shoves money into face and says.

"Here kid, have $100."  
"Wow thanks."  
"Hey i know you, your Matt Sonicble's daughter."  
"No I'm not."  
"Yes you are i saw you walking that woman."  
"You mean Maeve?" the man nearly dropped the bag.

"I finally found her." he said trying to hold back her tears. Cream wanted to walk away slowly from the man but he said "Wait. Don't go. I need your help." Cream stopped why a stranger would ask her for help. "Please, help a poor man out." Cream raised an eyebrow and looked at the bag. "I know what your thinking but not poor in that way but as in emotionally. I just want to see Maeve again, just one time and I thought since you were close to her I could…" the man stopped, tears were starting to come down from the dark sunglasses he wore on his face. Cream could leave a man in an emotional state, so she said to him.

"Okay I'll help, I'll get my dad and we'll meet in the park across the street, say…4 o'clock?"

"That sounds great. Once I'm done here I'll meet you there." Suddenly Cream remembered something as she looked at her wrist watch.

"Crap! I'm gonna be late! See you at 4… I hope." As he waved a woman walked passed and said.

"Here ma'am have $100." She ran to the Dream X office with quick feet, her dad was going to flip. But questions ran through her mind, how did he know she was Sonicble's daughter and was close to Maeve, and why was he giving out $100 to everyone one that walked passed him. She made it to the elevator before it went up, she hummed to the elevator music as she tried to catch her breath. The elevator door's flew open and just like that Cream was out like a shot; she ran down to the end of the hallway where her father's office was open the door to hear.

"You're late!" from her father who didn't even look up. She wanted to know how he did that, before she can ask he said to her. "If your wondering how I know let's just say I can smell you sweating cheese from what was it…the nachos." He said as he put his pen down. Maeve promised to keep quiet and she didn't say anything so how did he know that. She didn't have time she wanted to tell her dad something important but before she could explain Matt said. "I don't want to hear any excuse's of why your late you know the rules, you are to arrive here 15 minutes after the bell rings, the time is 3:30 pm so your 15 minutes late."

"Dad! Please! Let me explain, didn't you say all are innocent until proven guilty. Just give me one minute." As Matt plied away the paper work he said.

"Fine, you have one minute starting now."

"I met a weird man who wanted to see Maeve. He sounded desperate and wanted to see you first."

"Me? Oh boy... i hope it's not one them." as he looked up at Cream he asked her "Did he say "shadow fingers" owed him money?"

"No…."

"He's a lying pig." He yelled Cream jumped back with that sudden yell from her father. "Wait he said no?" she nodded "Never mind, forget that. So what did he want again?"

"He wanted to see Maeve."

"So it's not him…okay that's a little better." Matt said semi relieved.

"He seemed desperate in a sad way. I don't think he is out to cause trouble."

"Well if he wants to see Maeve, that's trouble enough." he said as he got up and grabbed his coat. "Right show me where he is Cream." Cream smiled and nodded she thought her father would put up more of a fight.

"Sure, he is a red-head like her, too." Matt looked up at the ceiling a moment and thought. "Why is it always the red heads that look for Maeve?"

"He's in the park at 4 o'clock."

"Ok, we'll meet him at the park find out what he wants with Maeve and then call her." Cream opened the door and said.

"Okay, but I can't help to feel some connection between them. Though I have to admit he is attractive so you better guard what's yours." she said in a teasing manner. As Matt laughed half heartily he said to her.

"Keep it up Cream and let's see how you do without your cell phone for another month." Cream then became quiet; her cell phone was becoming lonely. Later on just after 4 o'clock Maeve was just about to leave work when her cell phone began to ring as she answered she said.

"Hello Maeve speaking?"

"Hey Maeve." Matt answered.

"Matt? Is that you? You barely call me on my cell you usually working till six."

"Yeah listen, something's come up in the park, can you meet me here…there's something we need to talk about." Maeve became nervous.

"Tell me what exactly?"

"I can't, it has to be done face to face."

"I will hurry as fast as I can!" she shouted and hung up. As Matt hung up his cell he said to the stranger and Cream. "Well she's coming, let me break it to her gently then we'll bring you and him in, okay Cream?"  
"Okay dad." she said as she led him behind the tree near the park benches. A few moments later Maeve ran excitedly to the area as soon as she parallel parked her car. She was clad in a dark red spaghetti strapped dress and black heels. Heavy panting was released right when she halted before the park bench. Matt was surprised to see her like this.

"Wow, you look great."

"Thank you, now what is this important thing you want to tell me?" as Matt took a deep breath he said to her.

"Well, you know how sometimes our past comes back to us without us knowing." Maeve looked confused "I think its best i show you what I mean." Suddenly Cream came from behind the trees leading out the man in the grey trench coat and dark sunglasses. As he removed them he had the same colored eyes.

"Hey honey, miss me?" Her jaw hung agape in complete shock then took a few steps backwards. What once was shock then became furious anger. "I've got nothing to say to you except two words...Fuck off!" she shouted. Cream was shocked to hear that from Maeve.

"Honey, don't be like that."

"After what you did to me, why shouldn't i? Dad!" she refused to speak or look at him after that.

"Can you tell me why you're like this, please tell me."

"Think really hard about that." She said with a slight snarl in her voice. "You tried to put a hole in my head when I needed you the most! I could not understand what has been happening to my body and I needed you to be my safety net! I spent the rest of my childhood fending for myself with no self-worth! And now you just waltz in here with wishful thinking that I would forgive you! You're lucky that I have enough morals not to burn you where you stand!" her father didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Cream..." she the started to walk away, but before she could Matt asked Maeve.

"Can you at least ask him why he's here?"

"Okay..." she exhaled a heavy sigh and asked, "Why did you even bother to find me? I thought you have no daughter."

"That's not true; you are my daughter and I'm sorry for disowning you." As he looked at Cream and patted her on the head he said to her. "When i saw Cream i knew she had a good father and wondered if I continued being a good father would you be like her." he then looked at Matt "I didn't know who her father was, I knew he was an important man in more ways than one but he was a good man." he said as tears formed up in his eyes. "I just came to tell you how sorry i am and that I love you."

"If you are truly sorry, then prove it." she said with contempt and an icy glare.

"I'll do anything to prove how sorry i am, but what I can do to prove it?"

"Surprise me...and do not try to purchase forgiveness with a silly trinket. I am not same naive little girl you have known back then." She then walked away and left her father behind once more, this time by her own choosing. Her father felt low and hollow and fell to her name, Matt didn't want leave someone in this stare and said to Cream.

"Come on Cream let's take Maeve's dad back." As he outstretched his hand he said to Maeve's dad. "Names Matt Sonicble." He said with a smile. As Maeve's dad wiped away the tears he said to him as he grabbed his hand.

"Thanks, the names Timothy." As Matt helped him up, they walked him back to the Dream X office. Later on Matt poured some whisky into a glass and offered it to Timothy, he accepted it. "I don't know what to do, my little girl hates me and I'm supposed to prove that I'm sorry, me looking for her all these years isn't enough." As Matt sat down opposite him after giving Cream a soda he asked him.

"Well there are two questions I'd like to ask you, one is how you found her and how long have you been here?" he took a deep breath and said to him.

"I kinda looked for her on police reports, thinking she might have turned criminal."

"Well she didn't, in fact she became a teacher at a ballet school." He said to him sharply, thinking that her own father thought she was a criminal.

"To answer the second part of your question, I've been here about a week." He seemed sad he didn't approach her before, he watched her in secret for a week gaining the courage to speak to her again. He even told Matt the watched him and Maeve walking out of the abandoned house. "I believe you had a second question to ask me?" as gulped the whisky he then slammed the glass down on the table and said.

"Do you remember Maeve's favorite childhood memory?" He said with a smile, knowing the perfect way for her to spend time with her dad. Later on Matt called Maeve on her cell phone, she looked at the caller ID and saw it was matt, did she really want to pick it up knowing that her father was there. She picked it up and said with a sigh.

"Hello matt."

"Maeve, I need you to come to the office."

"Is my dad there?" Matt sighed.

"Yes he is but you need to give him a chance."

"Why should I? After all he's done."

"I know, I know but sometimes things happen unexpectedly and you just need to give them another chance." She then hanged up, she wanted to go but she just felt so much anger towards him. She knew that her actions were harsh in a way and he did look for her, she decided to maybe give him a chance but she'd only do it for Cream and matt. The wall clock in matt's office said 5:30 pm, it had been nearly an hour since Matt called Maeve, maybe she wasn't coming after all. Matt thought he knew Maeve but this made him look at her in a new perspective. Cream looked tired about now she'd be complaining but not today she wanted to see Maeve and her dad happy like her and her dad were, she wished. Suddenly the door creaked open matt, Cream and Timothy looked up to see her but instead saw Madison, matt's secretary.

"I'm going home now sir, I'll see you tomorrow morning." She said as she wore her coat over her shoulders.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Madison." She bowed and then left the room. She closed the door behind her, the door opened once more Matt thought it was Madison forgetting something but what they heard was.

"Well I'm here, lets get this over with." They all looked up and saw Maeve in the same dress she wore earlier she then asked her dad "Tell me the truth, that's all I want. Why did you come here to find me?" Timothy filled up with tears but bravely said to her.

"I came here to make peace with you, because…well I have a reason."

"Please tell what that reason is?"

"I'm dying." Those two words put everyone in the room into shock. Maeve's eyes widened upon hearing his answer and stammered,

"Y-Y-You can't be serious..." he got up from the chair and walked over to her and said.

"I'm afraid so, I only have a few months left to live and i wanted to spend them with my little girl, i used up most of the time i have left looking for you." A few tears form in her eyes while sniffling. "Does this mean that you truly see me as a person and not some freak of nature?" she asked. He then gently placed his hand on her cheek whipping away a tear that was flowing down and softly said to her.

"I do."  
"How long ago were you diagnosed?" Matt asked.  
"Three years ago, I spent most of my time looking for Maeve. I know you wanted me dead quicker, but i want to at least spend some time before i go."

"Daddy...I'm sorry, too...For being bitter..." she said softly. Maeve had done the inconceivable gesture that shocked the three of them. She pulled him into a tight embrace and wept quietly with her face buried into his chest. Tears were now flowing down her face she couldn't help but feel sorrow.

"It's all right my little girl, daddy's here." he said as he quietly wept with her. As he unzipped his bag he pulled out something soft and fuzzy. "I kept it waiting for you. He's been lonely." As Maeve looked at it her eyes sparkled up and hugged it and her father. It was Maeve's old teddy bear, by him keeping it he remembered the good days of their relationship. Matt and Cream couldn't help but cry as well. Cream cried into her hankie while Matt simply brushed away the tears that formed.

"I...I forgive you...Daddy...You always said that you wanted to pass on your torch to me...I am now by protecting the helpless like you. Your wish came true." But Timothy shook his head, he then said to her.

"You can be whatever you want to be my little girl, I'm just glad that i found you." as Matt reached into his pocket he realized he was going Maeve about something earlier before plans changed. As he reached into his pockets and pulled two tickets he said to them.  
"I got the perfect bonding event for you two." as Matt handed them a pair of tickets to an Eskrima tournament. "If i recall Maeve you told me that was the first time you and your father bonded."

"Yeah..." she said softly with an emerging smile. Go on, take them." he says as he hands them to Maeve's father. As her father looked at them he was amazed to see these were for a VIP box.  
"How did you get these?" he asked.  
"When you're at the top of an organization like this, people give you stuff for free for publicity." Cream then tugged on his sleeve and whispered to matt.  
"But dad, you got those so that you and Maeve could go on a date."

"I know Cream but I think Maeve and her daddy are going to need them." Cream smiled at her dad.

"Come on! We have to hurry or we will be late!" Maeve said, excitedly while tugging at his arm.

"Okay dear, we'll go now." As he looked at Matt he said to him "Thanks for the tickets."  
"Hey no problem." He said as he picked up Cream. "We dads got to keep our little princess happy." Cream was giggling happily, she didn't care if she was a teenager she loved it when her dad held her tightly, she felt safe.  
"That's true." As Maeve and her dad left for the door Maeve stopped and said.

"Wait, I forgot something." As she walked back to Matt and Cream she then did another unexpected gesture by giving a kiss to Cream's forehead and then gave a long one to Matt's lips and said to the two of them, "That is for making this possible." Matt turned red.

"It was nothing; Cream deserves most of the credit." As she walked back to her father she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek she then said happily, "I am happy you came back."

"I should be the happy one; I never thought this day would come." He said as he put his arm round her shoulder and led her to the arena where the Eskrima tournament was. Hours passed and Matt sat by the fire place with Cream on his lap, she was a big girl but loved to be cuddled by her dad sitting near the fire place when it was freshly lit. As he looked down on Cream he said to her.

"You know, back when I was a kid my dad use to let me sit on his lap while he read me a story book."

"What stories did he use to read you?" Cream asked.

"Well their was, little red riding hood, the three pigs and some other stories but mostly he talked about military strategies, that use to put me to sleep in record time." Cream giggled. She felt so cozy and warm being close to her dad the smell off his jacket was a warm and comforting sight, she still had the jacket he gave her the day she left with Chocolate she said "One day I'm going to wear a uniform just like my dad." Matt stroked her head and looked at the small clock that was on the mantel. It was an old Victorian wooden clock that had a small chime every hour, it struck ten times it was ten o'clock. "Time for bed Cream." He said as he gently shook her, she awoke from her sleepy daze. As she walked out of the large living room and into the hallway the door clicked open and in walked Maeve and her dad laughing and actually being really close. "Welcome home Maeve and timothy." Maeve than ran to matt and wrapped her arms around him, she kissed him once again on his lips and said.

"You have made me a happy woman, I'm so glad I met you." Matt hugged her back and said.

"I'm the happy one, I met you." Meanwhile cream was gagging on all the love matt and Maeve were exchanging. As matt looked down on her he said. "I'm just going to put this one to bed and I'll be right down." As he started to climb up the stairs timothy asked.

"Where's the bathroom in this big house of yours?"

"Follow me there's one upstairs." The long stairwell made timothy's eyes sink in but he followed matt all the same, Maeve went into the living room and sat down near the fire. As she waved her hand across the fire she made it move. She then made two fire people out of them, her and her father finally together. Then as she put the fire back the father fire figure went out first leaving the small little Maeve fire figure all alone, but it was surrounded by the fire itself so she wasn't completely alone. A small tear ran down her face, but she had plenty of time before her fathers flame was extinguished. Meanwhile upstairs Timothy came out of the bathroom whistling happily, he felt relieved. As he walked down the dark hallway he saw a crack of light coming from a room, he walked towards it like a moth to a flame as he peered inside, he saw cream laying in her bed talking to her dad, he knew this was a private conversation but something made him stay to listen to it.

"Do you think Maeve and her dad will be happy, now that they're together dad?" cream asked.

"At first I didn't know what to think, the way Maeve reacted seeing him again, but if you believe they will then I guess… I believe they will as well." As he tucked cream she asked.

"What do you believe dad?" she asked him. Timothy became intrigued in creams question, what does her father believe?

"I believe that all daddies little girls, like you and Maeve will always be, their fathers little princesses." He said as he kissed on the forehead and turned off her night stand by her bed. Cream sighed happily and went to sleep still cuddling boggle bear, the old teddy bear she found in her old room. As he gently closed her door as not to disturb her, he walked down the hallway down to where Maeve was. Meanwhile timothy was watching a sparking display of Maeve's control of fire, he was amazed how well she can control it and the amazement that matt didn't run off screaming seeing this. From the doorway matt clapped his hands and said. "That was a truly marvelous display Maeve, the dancing has gotten a lot better since the last time I saw it."

"Oh matt, stop you're embarrassing me." They all laughed.

"So who does the cooking in this house?" timothy asked.

"Well mostly matt or his staff but when I'm here I help put out the fire he makes." They all laughed harder, matt wasn't one for cooking but he did try all though when Maeve's around he loses focus and ends up nearly torching the place. As the laughter became quieter, timothy then said with a sigh.

"If I knew it was going to be like this when I came to see Maeve, I would have done it three years ago."

"So when you heard you had only three years left to live, what did you do." Matt asked. Maeve nodded as well in agreement; she too wanted to know what her father did in the last three years of his life.

"Well let's see…my best friend gave me some good advice after I told him, he said "Each days a gift, not a given right"." Matt silently agreed on that advice "he also said "the first step is the longest stride" I think he was right, and that was the first step well worth it." He said as he hugged Maeve. "I did a lot of things I never did before, I thought if this kills me then to hell with the heart cancer." Timothy laughed but Maeve and matt stayed silent. He looked at them, they were silent and sad, but Maeve was the saddest of them both. As timothy ruffled up her hair he said "Hey, no sad faces I got plenty of time before I go and I want to spend every minute with my little…princess." As timothy looked at the clock he said to Maeve "Well I'd best be getting to bed, its been a tiring and exciting time for me." He said as he smiled at Maeve and matt.

"Good night dad." She said happily to him.

"Good night, timothy." Matt added.

"Please matt, we're practically family. Well you will be as soon as you propose to my little girl." Matt went red and so did Maeve. "Well good night don't stay up too late having fun." He said as he laughed out of the room and up the stairs, minutes passed before Maeve said.

"Well that was embarrassing. If he weren't dying of heart cancer, I'd kill him myself."

"Well at least you've seen your dad, I haven't seen mine since I was eighteen, gave me the power over Dream X and…poof he was gone before the celebrations were over." Matt said sadly. He envied Maeve, her father who was dying comes to see her even knowing that she still hated him yet his dad was in perfect health and he didn't hate him for anything yet he hasn't seen him in 13 years. As matt pulled out an old photo album from one of the white bookcases on the far side of the room he showed Maeve his dad.

"That's your dad?"

"Yeah. Built like an ox they use to say." Matt said as he looked at the photo of his dad, it was one of matt's favorite photos of him and his dad. The picture was slightly creased but still they could see the smiles on their faces. Matt was saluting alongside his father wearing his dad's military hat, like father like son. As they flicked through the pages a small Polaroid photo slipped down to the floor, Maeve noticed a white sheet beneath her feet. As she picked it up and turned it over she nearly had a heart attack herself.

"Oh…my…god! This was you!" she said as she showed him, matt couldn't believe it.

"I thought my dad said he burnt this, why would he keep it?"

"I can't believe that was you, that's a side I never saw or thought you had."

"It was a long time ago, I was young and my father wasn't around." He said to her as he put down the photo. Maeve picked it up again and said.

"So your dad wasn't around when you did this."

"Yeah, so how do I look?"

"You look…Wow!"

"It was just a phase; one act of rebellion."

"Matt there are phases and there are near obsessions but this… this was no phase. I mean the black make up, the black shirt, the black jeans, and the death stomper's shoes. I especially love the little black tear drop coming from your eye, and the spiked collar you had around your neck and the matching wristbands as well, how old were you?"

"Sixteen." He replied.

"That's the sort of age you would do something like this."

"That's the sort of age you do a lot of stupid things at and believe me I did a few things, but the last act of rebellion made my father wished I was still with the band." Then all became silent, matt headed up to bed and Maeve shortly followed, if there was lots of anything in matt's mansion it was room. She walked past her dad's room where he was staying and whispered through the crack in the door.

"I love you dad." As she walked away, timothy smiled in his sleep and whispered.

"I love you too, Maeve." Morning shortly came and timothy was still asleep, cream had just got the bus to school with her friends while matt and Maeve were still getting ready for work. As Maeve buttoned up her uniform she said to matt.

"I'm just going to wake my dad before we go." Matt nodded and said. "I'll be waiting downstairs." He said as he grabbed his coat and slung it over his shoulder and walked out to wait for her. She walked to his door; she then opened the door to his room and quietly walked in approaching her father while he was still asleep. As she sat down on the bed next to him she said to her dad.

"Hey dad, yesterday we got off to a very rough start, what with me telling you to F off and then thinking about burning you, but todays a brand new day and I was wondering if after work, maybe…. You, me and matt with cream would like to go for a picnic in the park." He didn't answer "you know like we use to do, with mother." Still no response. "Come on dad wake up." She said as she gently shook him, she started to become more and more anxious, she tried shaking him harder. "If this where you pretend to be asleep then scare the hell out of me, its not funny." As she touched his neck her eyes sunk with fear and filled with tears, as she sobbed she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"MATT!"

**1 week later (****Lilium Saints version)**

It was a cold and rainy morning outside a church that had a line of black cars behind a long black hearse. Suddenly the church doors slowly opened and the bell rang, its echoing clang hit Maeve hard as she silently sobbed next to matt who led her outside with cream by his side. As they stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in black and in the rain the crowd of black followed, then six soldiers dressed in full uniform with black bands around their right arms as they carried the coffin slowly down the stairs. As they slowly walked to the freshly dug grave with the vicar leading the way, Maeve wiped away the tears she tried so hard to stop. As the arrived at the deep hole Maeve collapsed to her knees in tears at the grave with cream and matt by her side. She watched the soldiers lowering her dad's coffin as the vicar preformed the reading of rights and the ashes to ashes, dust to dust, the rain continue to fall. The service concluded and Maeve and matt were the last to go, cream waited for them by a grave, she knew now her mother was legally deceased for it had been seven years today. It rained all day, even late into the evening. Maeve sat alone in matt's large living room in front of the fire all depressed and sad. She couldn't help but feel cheated; her dad was still too young to die and all the times they missed because of her stupid mutation. Maeve held in her hands a fiery face of her father smiling at her but was quickly put out by her sorrow filled tears. Matt stood outside the living room waiting for the right moment to enter in and comfort her; he held something in his hand with her name on it. He breathed deeply and entered in trying not to be over happy but comforting.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked concerned. She shook her head slowly, she was now truly alone. "Something came for you this morning…its from your father." Her eyes sparkled at the mere mention of it. "It was supposed to be delivered in the case of his death." As she wiped away the tears she said to her sniffling.

"Your lying, my dad didn't have a clue where i was until last week ."

"Okay, I found it in the pillow case in the room he slept in. I just thought I'd cheer you up."

"You just being here is helping." As he handed her the letter, she opened it and read it, as she read it she could still hear her father's voice as if he was reading it to her.

"_Dearest Maeve, I never thought this day would come this is probably why I left it so late. I'm afraid I have not been honest with you I don't have months to live, in actually fact while writing this letter my hours of life are ticking away as we speak. In this letter I want to tell you that when I first saw your fire abilities when you were a child, I shunned you. I hated you. I felt fear towards you. Now I realize that was a horrible mistake and now I wished I had seen you grown into this wonderful woman you have become. While we were bonding, you smiled every time the name matt was brought up. I see he has brought you the happiness I never gave you, he is like the son-in-law I'll never get to see and cream is like the grandchild I now will never hold and tell her stories of when I was her age. Don't worry about anything I know matt will help you, support you, praise you of your fire abilities and give you anything you want, unlike me. Well my time is near I now I wait for god and his angels to take me away in my sleep. I'll always be with you._

_Love_

_Timothy leery_

_No that's not right_

_Love daddy._"

Her tears filled up her eyes as she cried about what her father wrote, she hugged matt and said to him.

"He was the only family I had, but I don't feel alone. You're here and so is cream." Matt held her tightly and remembered his own father up and abandoning him when he was 18. He remembered coming down the very stairs into this room expecting to his dad instead the staff told him something he would never forget.

"Ummm….Cynthia?" he asked

"Yes master matt?"

"Where's my dad?"

"Oh, he left a message. Saying to hold your head up high and he'll be back soon." Matt sighed thinking his dad would return soon. Thirteen years later his dad hadn't come back once. Matt was here for Maeve and cream only. They were his family now, but after what chocolate said how long would it last.

"Why did you disappear?" he asked.

"I disappeared because I had to some research on you."

"On me?"

"Yeah, I hate to tell you this but; The Interpol is looking over your family's history."

"Interpol? What's my family got to do with them?"

"A lot, there's no easy way of saying this but…due to your success of being the youngest ever Dream X agent to be promoted to chief officer and of being the son of Alan Mustang …several people… want you dead!"

"Why?"

"Grudges, betrayal, it's a long list but most of them have been dealt with… except one."

"Who?"

"No one knows, all we know is from the last guy we interrogated he gave us a warning for you…beware of the granite Grinder."

"The…"Granite Grinder?"."

"Yeah, I had to take cream away just in case but no reports came back. But don't worry when I leave this town several Interpol agents will watch over you." Matt now felt trapped because at any moment the so called "Granite Grinder." Would grind away everything he worked towards and everyone he is close too. Thunder cracked outside and a shadowy figure stood outside the main gates.

"Soon matt." He said with a thick southern accent. "Soon, everything you ever dreamed of having or being will end and then the nightmare shall begin."


End file.
